German word

Bock

Pronunciation

IPA/bɔk/

Meaning

  • masculine noundesire

Example

Ich habe heute keinen Bock.

I don't feel like doing anything today.

Illustration for Bock (desire)

More examples

Hast du Bock auf Pizza?

Are you in the mood for pizza?

Core concept

A headstrong billy goat ready to charge suggests an inner push that can suddenly appear or disappear.

Common phrases

  • keinen Bock auf etwas haben

    have no desire for ___

  • keinen Bock mehr haben

    no longer feel like it

  • keinen Bock zu arbeiten haben

    have no desire to work

Similar words

Lust: An inclination to do something for the enjoyment or interest it offers.
Motivation: The inner determination to continue acting toward a goal or task.

Definition in German

Innere Motivation oder kurze Lust, eine Handlung zu beginnen; typisches Beispiel: "Ich habe keinen Bock".

Word origin

The animal noun Bock is an old Germanic inheritance, and its meaning of desire belongs to the later informal expression Bock haben.

Usage tips

  • Keinen Bock sounds direct and informal, and its force ranges from simple reluctance to strong refusal depending on context.

Other meanings

  • billy goatnoun

Opposites

  • Unlustlack of enthusiasmnoun
  • Abneigungdislikenoun

Related words

  • bockenbe rebelliousverb
  • bockigsullenadjective
  • Bockigkeitsullennessnoun

Word lists with this word