kings
HighNeutral. Used across all registers from formal/historical to informal/metaphorical.
Definition
Meaning
The plural form of 'king', referring to multiple male monarchs who rule a country or territory.
Can refer figuratively to multiple men, animals, or objects considered preeminent in their field (e.g., 'kings of industry'), to a playing card rank, or to a book of the Bible.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a plural count noun, it requires plural concord ('kings are'). The possessive is 'kings''. The figurative use often implies supremacy, power, and sometimes arrogance.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant semantic differences. The card game 'Kings' or drinking game 'Kings Cup' is known in both varieties.
Connotations
Similar historical and cultural connotations of monarchy in both dialects.
Frequency
Comparably high frequency, with slight potential increase in UK English due to topical relevance of the monarchy.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Determiner] + kings + [of + PLACE/ERA][Adjective] + kings + [Verb in plural form]Kings + [who/that clause]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Kings to you! (archaic toast)”
- “live like kings”
- “kings of the castle”
- “separate the kings from the pawns”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Metaphorical: 'The tech kings of Silicon Valley dominate the market.'
Academic
Historical/Political Science: 'The Merovingian kings consolidated power through strategic alliances.'
Everyday
Literal/Figurative: 'We were treated like kings on our holiday.' 'He drew two kings in his poker hand.'
Technical
Biblical Studies: 'The First Book of Kings details the history of the Israelite monarchy.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He kings it over his little domain.
American English
- He kings it over the entire department.
adjective
British English
- The Kings Arms pub is on the high street.
- It was a kingsize bed.
American English
- The Kings Canyon hike is spectacular.
- He ordered a kingsized meal.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- There were many kings in history.
- The story is about three kings.
- Kings live in castles.
- Medieval kings often led their armies into battle.
- In the card game, kings are very valuable.
- They felt like kings at the luxury hotel.
- The rival kings negotiated a fragile peace treaty.
- He is considered one of the kings of abstract art.
- The book of Kings presents a theological history of Israel's monarchy.
- The Visigothic kings who succeeded Alaric II faced immense political fragmentation.
- These corporate kings wield influence that rivals that of many nation-states.
- The concept of the philosopher-king, as envisaged by Plato, has seldom been realised by actual kings.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the 'S' in 'Kings' as standing for 'Several' sovereigns.
Conceptual Metaphor
SUPREMACY IS KINGSHIP (e.g., 'kings of the jungle', 'kings of comedy').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'короли' for metaphorical 'kings' in fixed phrases where a different Russian word is used (e.g., 'king of beasts' is 'царь зверей', not 'король').
- The biblical 'Kings' is translated as 'Царств' (Books of Kingdoms), not a direct plural of 'king'.
Common Mistakes
- Using a singular verb with the plural noun (Incorrect: 'Kings is powerful').
- Misspelling as 'king's' (possessive singular) or 'kings'' (possessive plural) when the simple plural is intended.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'kings' used figuratively?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Capitalise only when part of a proper noun (e.g., 'the Three Kings', 'King's College', 'the Book of Kings'). Use lowercase for general references (e.g., 'kings and queens').
'Kings' specifically denotes male rulers. 'Monarchs' is a gender-neutral term that can include kings, queens, emperors, and empresses.
Yes, in metaphorical contexts. Lions are called 'kings of the jungle', and a dominant animal in a group may be referred to as the king. The plural extends this metaphor to multiple entities (e.g., 'tech kings').
It is pronounced as a voiced /z/ sound, following the voiced /ŋ/ sound. The IPA is /kɪŋz/.