idiom · informal
kick the bucket
/kɪk ðə ˈbʌkɪt/kick·the·BUCK·et
speakingtask2
to die (informal)
Examples
“After a long illness, he finally kicked the bucket.”
“We were shocked when the old singer kicked the bucket last year.”
“It's rude to say someone 'kicked the bucket' in a formal obituary.”
Band 8 sentence
“I wouldn't use 'kick the bucket' in an academic essay, but in a casual interview I might say someone 'kicked the bucket'.”
Collocations
- kicked the bucket (past)
- might kick the bucket
Common mistakes
kick the bucket (used in a formal essay)→pass away
He will kicked the bucket→He will kick the bucket
Say it for a higher band
5die→6pass away→7+kick the bucket
Synonyms
pass away
die
Easily confused
pass away
“Many elderly people pass away peacefully in their sleep.”
Related words
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In Health
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