WordGarden.iobollock
Pronunciation
UK
- /ˈbɒ.lək/Irelandin-pluralvulgarnoun
US
- /bˈɑːlək/
Meanings
Noun
a vulgar term for a testicle
an obscene insult for a stupid, annoying, or contemptible person
Verb
to scold or rebuke someone harshly
Beyond the definition
"Bollock" (normally heard in the plural as "bollocks") is a tough British slang word with a few core uses. Literally, it can mean testicles, and it is very vulgar when used that way. More commonly, people use it as an exclamation to dismiss something as complete nonsense—an impolite alternative to words like "rubbish." It can also refer to a major mess-up or failure, especially in forms like "bollocks-up." In everyday use, you’ll also hear it as a sharp form of rebuke. Context matters: it is informal, sometimes taboo, and usually best avoided in polite or professional settings.
If someone makes a wild claim, a sharp response might be "Bollocks!" If a task goes badly wrong, people might call it "a proper bollocks-up." It carries weighty emotion, often conveying disbelief, frustration, or dismissive contempt.
The word "bollock" has a long and crude history, usually traced back to the Old English bealluc. It began as a literal anatomical term for male genitalia, and that use is still recognized as vulgar. Its modern use has widened in British slang to include several related meanings, most of which are informal or coarse.
Today, the most common form is the plural "bollocks." As an exclamation, it dismisses a claim, opinion, or idea as false, ridiculous, or nonsense—"Bollocks to that!" being a forceful rejection. As a noun, a "bollocks-up" or "bollock-up" is a serious mess or failure. As a verb, people may say someone “bollocked” an assignment, meaning they bungled it, and a "bollocking" is a severe, often public, scolding.
Interestingly, the word also appears in the idiom "the dog's bollocks," where it means something excellent or outstanding. As with all variants of this term, audience is everything: it is usually avoided in formal settings and can offend or shock if used without caution. Even in the UK, where it can sound playful among close friends, it remains strong language and should be used only when tone and setting are appropriate.
Examples
- 1
Workplace scolding
The boss bollocked him for turning up an hour late.
- CautionBritish English, rude: bollock someone for + reason
speak to them very angrily about it
- 2
Angry telling-off
She gave me a real bollocking after I sent the email to the wrong client.
- 3
Frustration
“Oh, bollocks,” he said, looking at the flat tyre.
- Caution
British English, rude: used to show annoyance or frustration
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- bollocknoun