William is sort of strange. I don't know what makes him tick.
•When you get to know people, you find out what makes them tick.
Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.
what makes someone tick — informal phrase the feelings and ideas that make someone behave the way that they do an interviewer who is determined to find out what makes her subjects tick Thesaurus: general words for a person s charactersynonym parts of a person s… … Useful english dictionary
what makes someone tick — what makes (someone) tick if you know what makes someone tick, you understand the reasons for their behaviour and personality. A good salesperson knows what makes a customer tick … New idioms dictionary
what makes someone tick — When you try to understand what motivates someone or makes them behave the way they do, you want to know what makes them tick. He s a strange man. It s hard to figure out what makes him tick … English Idioms & idiomatic expressions
what makes someone tick — informal what motivates someone. → tick … English new terms dictionary
what makes someone tick — informal the feelings and ideas that make someone behave the way that they do an interviewer who is determined to find out what makes her subjects tick … English dictionary
what makes tick — what makes (someone) tick if you know what makes someone tick, you understand the reasons for their behaviour and personality. A good salesperson knows what makes a customer tick … New idioms dictionary
tick — tick1 [ tık ] verb * 1. ) intransitive if a clock or watch ticks, it makes a quiet sound every second 2. ) transitive BRITISH to CHECK something that is correct or something that has been dealt with: Tick the sentence that best describes your… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
tick — [[t]tɪ̱k[/t]] ticks, ticking, ticked 1) N COUNT A tick is a written mark like a V. It is used to show that something is correct or has been selected or dealt with. [mainly BRIT] His exercise books were full of well deserved red ticks... Place a… … English dictionary
tick — tick1 noun 1》 Brit. a mark ( ) used to indicate that an item in a list or text is correct or has been chosen. 2》 a regular short, sharp sound, especially that made every second by a clock or watch. ↘Brit. informal a moment. 3》 Stock Exchange… … English new terms dictionary
tick — I. /tɪk / (say tik) noun 1. a slight, sharp recurring click or beat, as of a clock. 2. Colloquial a moment or instant: hang on just a tick. 3. a small mark, as a hooked, sloping dash (formed by two strokes at an acute angle) serving to draw… …
tick — I UK [tɪk] / US verb Word forms tick : present tense I/you/we/they tick he/she/it ticks present participle ticking past tense ticked past participle ticked * 1) [intransitive] if a clock or a watch ticks, it makes a quiet sound every second 2)… … English dictionary
