knock
verb [ T ]
uk/nɒk/ usto cause a sudden and unexpected change in something such as prices:
His downbeat assessment knocked the company's share price enough to ensure that it failed to rejoin the FTSE 100.
Analysts have warned that price cuts and slowing sales would knock profits.
to affect someone or something badly:
The hotel and conference sector has been knocked sideways by a catalogue of problems in recent years.
Manufacturing redundancies in the area are knocking buyers' confidence.
be knocked by sth The financial markets were badly knocked by the week's political turmoil.
informal
to criticize something or someone:
Critics may knock the company, but it's still a good investment.
You can knock him for some things, but you have to give him credit for his record.
come knocking informal
to visit or talk to someone in order to ask for something:
We assist small companies that want to expand their capabilities - if they come knocking, we don't turn them down.
knock on/at sb's door informal
to talk to a person or an organization because you want them to help you, or you want to join them:
In the two years since it launched its first plan, nearly 218,000 investors have knocked on its door.
In 1911, 39 per cent of Britain's working women were domestic servants, now they are knocking at the boardroom door.
knock sth on the head UK informal
to prevent something from happening, or to finally finish something:
The company knocked housing market concerns on the head with a 32% rise in full-year profits.
knock spots off sth/sb UK informal
to be much better than something or someone else:
This ingenious colour viewfinder knocks spots off current LCD displays.
knock sth/sb into shape informal
to take action to get something or someone into good condition:
His arrival on the board has finally knocked the company into shape.
knock the bottom out of sth
to damage something severely, especially by destroying its support:
The rise in mortgage rates really knocked the bottom out of the housing market.
Phrasal verbs
knock sb/sth back
knock sb down
knock sth down
knock sth from sth
knock off (sth)
knock off sth
knock sth off (sth)
knock sth out
knock
noun [ C ]
uk/nɒk/ usa situation in which something is badly affected:
Sales of champagne were up over the key Christmas period despite earlier fears of a knock in consumer confidence.
informal
a bad experience:
take/suffer/have a knock
In him, we see a man, toughened by his share of hard knocks, who's had to struggle for every success.
a criticism of someone or something:
a knock on sb/sth The biggest knock on internet phones is that they're only as reliable as your broadband connection.