knock 'em dead

INFORMAL
This page is about the conversational phrase knock 'em dead

Meaning

You can say this to give encouragement to someone who's about to perform in public, play sport, go for a job interview, etc.

For example

  • Just before Laura went on stage, her manager hugged her and said,"Knock 'em dead!"

  • My brother was looking really nervous before his race, so I shouted, "Knock 'em dead, Alex!"

Quick Quiz

If someone says "Knock 'em dead!", they want you

a. to kill

b. to succeed

c. to fail
a) to kill b) to succeed c) to fail

Contributor: Matt Errey