# bollocks

/ˈbɔɫɔks/ (US) · /bˈɒləks/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bollocks
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. nonsense

noun · CEFR B2 · British English · Vulgar · Informal

something that is not true or is complete nonsense.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. anatomy

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Vulgar

a vulgar word for testicles.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. the best

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Slang · Vulgar

something that is excellent or the very best of its kind.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Always used with the definite article 'the'.

### 5. to ruin or fail

verb · CEFR C1 · British English · Slang · Vulgar

to mess something up or fail a task completely.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- He called the plan complete bollocks.
- After the failed experiment, the team agreed the entire approach was just bollocks.
- The author's use of bollocks as a metaphor for societal decay adds a layer of dark humor to the narrative.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.