knockout
/ˈnɒkaʊt/ (bre, ipa) · [nˈɑkˌaʊt] /ˈnɑːkaʊt/ (ame, ipa) · [nˈɑkˌaʊt] /ˈnäk-ˌau̇t/ (ame, mw) · /ˈnɒk.aʊt/ (bre, ipa) · [nˈɑkˌaʊt] /ˈnɑːk.aʊt/ (ame, ipa)
knockout — noun
- knockoutsingular
- knockoutsplural
1. a moment in a boxing match where one fighter punches the other so hard that they
a moment in a boxing match where one fighter punches the other so hard that they collapse and cannot stand back up within the ten-second count, ending the bout immediately.
Megan won her first professional fight by knockout in the third round.
collocation: win by knockout
The crowd gasped when Tariq scored a knockout twenty seconds into the match.
collocation: score a knockout
After the brutal knockout, the referee ended the fight and called the medical team.
Liam trained for two years hoping to deliver a clean knockout in his championship debut.
A surprise left hook produced the knockout that fans had been waiting for all night.
- decision
a win awarded by the judges' scorecards because neither fighter was knocked out
文法句型
win/lose by knockout
用法筆記
Often appears in fixed phrases like 'win by knockout', 'score a knockout', or as the modifier 'knockout punch / knockout blow'. Common abbreviation in sports reporting is KO.
常見錯誤
2. a contest where each round eliminates the loser, so a team or player who loses o
a contest where each round eliminates the loser, so a team or player who loses once cannot play again, and the last side still unbeaten is the champion.
Brazil were eliminated from the knockout in the quarter-finals after a penalty shoot-out.
collocation: eliminated from the knockout
Vinícius said the team had spent all season preparing for the knockout tournament.
attributive: knockout tournament
Once you enter the knockout, a single bad day can end your whole campaign.
Constanza watched her son's school chess club reach the final of the regional knockout.
The cup runs as a straight knockout, with no second chances and no group stage.
- single-elimination
more technical American term for the same format
- cup
the British football word for a knockout competition, e.g. the FA Cup
- league
a format where every team plays every other team and one loss is not fatal
- round-robin
another non-knockout format with all-play-all scheduling
文法句型
a knockout (competition / stage / round)
用法筆記
Often used attributively ('knockout stage', 'knockout round', 'knockout tournament') to contrast with a 'group stage' or 'league format' where one loss does not eliminate you.
3. someone or something whose looks, sound, or overall impact are so striking that
someone or something whose looks, sound, or overall impact are so striking that people stop and pay attention — a hit that 'knocks out' an audience in admiration rather than in violence.
Sivan walked in wearing a red silk dress; everyone agreed she was an absolute knockout.
informal: an absolute knockout (person)
The band's debut album turned out to be a real knockout, selling out within days.
informal: a real knockout (thing)
Rin's wedding photographs were a knockout, full of soft light and candid laughter.
Critics called the film's final scene a complete knockout, and audiences left cheering.
- stunner
very close in meaning, slightly more focused on physical appearance
- showstopper
more about performance impact than personal looks
- hit
broader — a popular success, not necessarily visually striking
文法句型
a (real / absolute) knockout
用法筆記
Informal and broadly positive — covers people, clothes, performances, food, or anything that makes a strong first impression. Older spoken English sometimes used 'knockout' specifically of a beautiful woman, but modern usage applies to anything striking.
常見錯誤
knockout — adjective
- knockoutpositive
- more knockoutcomparative
- most knockoutsuperlative
1. used before a noun to say that the thing described — usually a dress, performanc
used before a noun to say that the thing described — usually a dress, performance, smile, view, or similar — is so impressive that anyone who sees or hears it reacts instantly.
Charlotte wore a knockout green dress to the awards ceremony and dominated the red carpet.
attributive: knockout + dress (appearance)
The young pianist gave a knockout performance of the Brahms concerto on Saturday night.
attributive: knockout + performance
From the rooftop, Mathieu showed us a knockout view of the harbour at sunset.
Jiwoo greeted the new neighbours with a knockout smile and a plate of homemade biscuits.
- stunning
very close in meaning, slightly more formal and usable after 'be'
- spectacular
wider in scope, often used of events, scenery, or visual effects
- show-stopping
emphasises that the thing makes the audience pause and pay full attention
- underwhelming
the thing exists but produces no strong reaction
- forgettable
leaves no lasting impression at all
文法句型
knockout + noun
用法筆記
Used only before the noun (attributive), never after 'be' — say 'a knockout dress', not 'the dress was knockout'. To say the same idea after 'be', use the noun form: 'the dress was a knockout'.