Word
bollocks
Phoneticsbol·locks, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈbɔɫɔks/
UK/bˈɒləks/
Definitions
01nonsense
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun British English · Vulgar · Informal
n. something that is not true or is complete nonsense.
n. nonsense, rubbish, or information deliberately intended to mislead. Uncountable in this sense.
“Don't listen to him, he's talking absolute bollocks.”
“The politician's explanation for the missing funds was dismissed by the press as complete and utter bollocks.”
02anatomy
C1 · Advanced Plural noun British English · Vulgar
n. a vulgar word for testicles.
n. the testicles. Plural in form and usage.
“He got hit right in the bollocks by the football.”
“The athlete doubled over in pain after taking a stray blow to the bollocks during the scrum.”
03the best
C1 · Advanced Plural noun British English · Slang · Vulgar
n. something that is excellent or the very best of its kind.
n. an elliptical form of 'the dog's bollocks', signifying excellence or the highest quality.
“Have you seen his new car? It's the bollocks.”
“The sound system they installed for the festival was absolute bollocks; the clarity was unlike anything I had heard before.”
Antonyms
04to ruin or fail
C1 · Advanced British English · Slang · Vulgar
v. to mess something up or fail a task completely.
v. to fail a task or to make a mess of a situation. Often used in the form 'bolloked' or 'bolloked up'.
“I really bollocked that interview this morning.”
“The contractor completely bollocked the plumbing installation, leading to a massive leak in the basement.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “bollocks” in context.
Verb
01. kick him in the bollocks
“The striker accidentally kicked the defender in the bollocks while reaching for the ball.”
verb + noun + prep
02. talk absolute bollocks
“Don't listen to him; he's talking absolute bollocks about the project's budget.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. complete bollocks
“Most of what you read in those tabloid newspapers is complete bollocks.”
adj + noun
04. utter bollocks
“The excuse he gave for being late was utter bollocks and nobody believed him.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. load of bollocks
“I've never heard such a load of bollocks in my entire life!”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
06. full of bollocks
“He's always full of bollocks, so take everything he says with a pinch of salt.”
prep + noun
Etymology
From Old English beallucas (nominative plural of bealluc), via Middle English ballokes (plural of ballok), the term bollocks emerges by surface analysis as bollock + -s. The comparison to cullion suggests a shared etymological lineage in the realm of vulgar slang.
No named entities or dates are recorded in the source, though the term's survival into modern English attests to its resilience as a lexical curiosity.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/bollocks