Definition and pronunciation
neck
Noun — the part of the body between the head and shoulders; by extension, a narrow part of an object (bottle neck/bottleneck), a stretch of land (this neck of the woods). Pronounced /nɛk/.
Verb, informal — to kiss and cuddle passionately; in British slang, to drink quickly (neck a pint).
Easy explanation
Neck is usually the body part. As a verb, to neck means to kiss intensely (often for a while). In the UK, neck can also mean to drink something fast.
Part of speech and grammar
- Noun (countable): a long neck, a stiff neck, the neck of a bottle.
- Verb (regular): neck – necked – necked; necking. They were necking in the back row.
- Gerund/noun: necking (prolonged kissing).
- Compounds & derivatives: neckline, neckwear, necktie, neck brace, bottleneck (also figurative “obstacle”), neck-and-neck (hyphenated adjective).
Register and tone
Neutral for the body/object senses. The neck = kiss sense is informal/dated-romantic; playful rather than crude. The drink quickly sense is casual British slang.
Connection to sexuality
Yes, lightly. To neck or necking usually means prolonged kissing and cuddling, sometimes implying hands-on affection but not necessarily intercourse. It sits below make out or sleep with on the sexual-intensity scale.
Common collocations
- Body/object: stiff neck, crane your neck, nape of the neck, neck brace, neck pain, bottle neck/bottleneck.
- Idiomatic: neck and neck (in a race), pain in the neck, stick your neck out, breathe down someone’s neck, this neck of the woods.
- Kissing: neck with someone, be caught necking, teenage necking.
- British drinking: neck a pint/shot/drink.
Idioms and set phrases
- neck and neck — in a tie: The candidates were neck and neck.
- stick your neck out — take a risk.
- pain in the neck — an annoyance.
- breathe down someone’s neck — pressure someone closely.
- this neck of the woods — this area/neighborhood.
- over someone’s neck (rare literal): grasping the neck.
- necking (dated) — heavy kissing/petting.
Prepositions and nuance
- around the neck — location: a scarf around the neck.
- by the neck — grasp/hold (literal).
- up to your neck in — overwhelmed: up to my neck in work.
- neck with [someone] — kiss/cuddle with: They were necking with each other after the dance.
- neck of [object] — narrow part: the neck of the bottle.
- in this neck of the woods — regional reference.
- neck [drink] (BrE) — He necked his tea and ran.
Word comparisons
- neck vs throat — throat is the front/internal passage; neck is the whole external region.
- neck vs nape — nape is the back of the neck.
- neck (kiss) vs make out — neck feels old-fashioned and coy; make out is modern and more common.
- bottleneck vs choke point — both mean an obstacle or narrow passage; bottleneck is more general.
- kiss vs neck — kiss can be brief; neck implies extended kissing.
Real-life examples
- After the long flight, she woke up with a stiff neck.
- The two runners were neck and neck at the finish.
- Security asked the couple to stop necking in the theater.
- He craned his neck to see the stage.
- They necked their coffees before the meeting and hurried out.
- Traffic bottlenecks near the bridge every Friday.
Sample sentences
- They were necking behind the bleachers until the rain started.
- I can’t turn my neck—must’ve slept funny.
- We’re neck and neck in the polls this week.
- Don’t stick your neck out unless you’re sure of the data.
- She necked a glass of water after the run.
- This neck of the woods gets quiet after sunset.
Synonyms
(neck, noun) nape, throat, cervix of a bottle, bottleneck, neckline
(kiss sense) make out, kiss, smooch, canoodle, cuddle, nuzzle
(drink quickly, BrE) chug, down, knock back, swig
Antonyms
(kiss sense) abstain, refrain, keep distance, separate, pull away
(overwhelmed idiom) be free, be clear
(obstacle sense) free flow, throughput, clearance
Related terms
nape, throat, neckline, neckwear, choker, hickey, make out, heavy petting, French kiss, bottleneck, choke point, neck brace, stiff-necked, breakneck speed, neck of the woods, pain in the neck
Notes and etiquette
Use neck/necking for light, old-school talk about prolonged kissing; for clarity in modern writing, make out is more familiar. Avoid grabbing “by the neck” imagery unless literally describing a physical hold. In professional settings, avoid romantic slang and prefer neutral wording.
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