knock out — make someone unconscious
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To hit someone so hard that they become unconscious, or to cause someone to become unconscious for a short time.
Say it like a native
Textbook The blow rendered him unconscious instantly.
Native The punch knocked him out cold.
'Knock out' is the plain verb for being made unconscious. 'Rendered him unconscious' is formal.
Pattern: knock someone out
In use
- The boxer knocked his opponent out in the second round.health
- During the match, one player was accidentally knocked out and had to be taken to the hospital for a check-up.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He was knocked out unconscious.
✓ He was knocked out.
'Knock out' already means make unconscious — 'unconscious' is redundant.
Common collocations
knock out— cold, with one punch, in the ring, the anaesthetic
Don't confuse it
'Pass out' means to faint by yourself, while 'knock out' means someone or something made you unconscious.
Related
- knock out (eliminate from a competition) — Another meaning of 'knock out' is 'eliminate from a competition'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.