# kiss

> English word · Verb · IPA /kɪs/ · frequency rank #2,586

## Definitions
1. To touch with the lips or press the lips against, usually to show love or affection or passion, or as part of a greeting.
2. To (cause to) touch lightly or slightly; to come into contact.
3. Of two or more people, to touch each other's lips together, usually to express love or affection or passion.
4. To treat with fondness.

## Etymology
From Middle English kissen, kussen, from Old English cyssan (“to kiss”), from Proto-West Germanic *kussijan, from Proto-Germanic *kussijaną (“to kiss”).
Cognates include Saterland Frisian küsje, Dutch kussen, German Low German küssen, German küssen, Danish kysse, Swedish kyssa, Norwegian kysse, Icelandic kyssa. Compare Proto-Indo-European *ku-, *kus- (probably imitative), with byspels including Ancient Greek κύσσω (kússō), poetic form of κύσω (kúsō, “to kiss”), and Hittite [script needed] (kuwassanzi, “they kiss”).

## Easily confused with
- **KS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-ks)
- **kit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kit)
- **KMS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kms)
- **Kos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kos)
- **kits** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kits)
- **kris** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kris)
- **kite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kite)
- **kiwi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kiwi)
- **kush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kush)
- **KORS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kors)
- **Kita** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kita)
- **Kitt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kitt)
- **kites** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kites)
- **knits** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-knits)
- **kissed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kissed)
- **kisses** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kisses)
- **kisser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kiss-vs-kisser)
- **kI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ki-vs-kiss)
- **kid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kid-vs-kiss)
- **Kim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kim-vs-kiss)

## Common misspellings (4)
`ikss`, `kis`, `kkiss`, `ksis`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/kiss