Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. powerful, aggressive, stimulating, thuggish or violent.

1970		in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dict. (1998).
1977		E. Torres Q&A 164: ‘You just got out of school, Reilly. I been in the kicks-in-the-ass school all my life’.
1992		R. Marcinko Rogue Warrior (1993) 210: I need a kick-ass admin officer.
1993		M. Myers et al. Wayne’s World II [film script] wayne: I’m talking double-live, gonzo, kick-ass, take-no-prisoners happiness.
1995		R. Campbell Wizard of La-La Land (1999) 18: In spite of the kick-in-the-ass jumpstart Joseph Campbell’s PBS series had given them.
2000		Indep. on Sun. 16 Jan. 24: Suddenly, he was six-feet-two of kick-butt Home Secretary.
2000		M. Manning Get Your Cock Out 92: They started banging around on the drums and bass, searching for kick-ass riffs.
2005		L. Redhead Rubdown [ebook] His openness was engaging and made you want to respond in kind. Especially after a kick-arse double expresso.
2004		J. Ellroy ‘Hollywood Fuck Pad’ in Destination: Morgue! (2004) 248: I’ve got a kick-ass will and volition.
2009		P. Temple Truth 132: In the kickarse voice Villani heard the boy who never had a father, only a photograph.
2014		Pando Qly Spring 52/2: The quietest and most modest kick-ass brilliant mind ever to come out of North Carolina.
2016		A. Wheatle Crongton Knights 134: Some hot chick from a kick-ass fam.
2019		C. Hammer Silver [ebook] A kick-arse journo.

2. terrific, exciting.

1981		(con. 1967) P. Conroy Lords of Discipline 378: Man, we had a great night. A fabulous kiss-ass night.
1986		Eble Campus Sl. Oct. 4: kick-ass – impressive, powerful, awesome: That was some kick-ass rock and roll.
1998		Eble Campus Sl. Apr.
1999		People (Sydney) 5 July 18/1: Devised by an ex-Grenadier Guard to sort the men from the soft cocks, the kick-arse event has been running for the past 12 years.
1999		(con. 1979–80) A. Wheatle Brixton Rock (2004) 136: A tournament in which the top kick-arse sounds in London would musically cross swords.
2000		Guardian Guide 5–11 Feb. 28: The world was so boring before kick-ass crazy guys like myself [...] made all this mad culture that is now part of the culture.
2001		S. King Dreamcatcher 7: Jackson Browne [...] put on a kick-ass show.
2003		T. Dorsey Stingray Shuffle 149: I spent the money on a six-month kick-ass cocaine party.
2004		L. Redhead Peepshow [ebook] We’ll have to go out some time for a kick-arse curry.
2010		Codella and Bennett Alphaville (2011) 224: Yo, get your Hot One-Oh-Three here. Got that kick-ass shit, yo! Kick-ass D!
2013		IOL News On Line (S.Afr.) 10 Mar. 🌐 I love the kick-ass slogans.
2017		Times Times2 6 Jan. 🌐 CW will happily declare Ferguson’s reply to be one of the most kick-ass things of 2017.
2021		C. Hammer Opal Country 335: ‘Stuff the caring professions. I wanted a kick-arse profession’.