Meanings
bosh1
- UKuncountableNonsense.
"Why, it's absolute bosh from beginning to end."
1955, C[live] S[taples] Lewis, chapter 5, in The Magician's Nephew, Collins, published 19983 more examples
Tho' hundreds cheer his blatant bosh, He's but a goose for a' that.
1868, Shirley Brooks, For A' That And A' ThatBut you know very well you're talking bosh," exclaimed Abraham, somewhat discomfited. "There must be government, and there must be order, say what you like.
1884, George Gissing, chapter 17, in The UnclassedOliver saw Kit Carson wink at the lieutenant and Lucien Maxwell, as the speech reached them, and it was evident that these three leaders did not believe the Indian tales. Consequently he himself decided that the reports of "evil spirits" awaiting were all bosh.
1912, Edwin L[egrand] Sabin, chapter VIII, in With Carson and FrémontSynonyms: blatherskite, hogwash, malarkey
- UKAn expression of disbelief or annoyance.
"Bosh!" said the Vicar, rejecting the hint altogether.
1904, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, chapter 1, in The Food of the Gods1 more example
“The people who wrote the mediaeval ballads,” answered the priest, “knew more about fairies than you do. It isn’t only nice things that happen in fairyland.” “Oh, bosh!” said Flambeau. “Only nice things could happen under such an innocent moon. I am for pushing on now and seeing what does really come. We may die and rot before we ever see again such a moon or such a mood.”
1911, G. K. Chesterton, “The Sins of Prince Saradine”, in The Innocence of Father BrownSynonyms: fiddlesticks, horsefeathers, pull the other one
bosh2
bosh3
bosh4
- UKAn expression of speedy and satisfactory completion of a simple or straightforward task.
Wrong, get a^([sic]) LPG diesel. More power than either, better economy than either, bosh, job's done.
2003, uk.rec.cars.misc (Usenet)3 more examples
It's a ~3 foot double lead with two 5-pin DIN plugs on one end and a big gameport-sized-n-shaped plug on the other. One end into the gameport, t'other plugs into the back of your keyboard. Bosh, job done.
2001, rec.games.computer.ultima.dragons (Usenet)My father registered with these people a few months ago, and all his calls dried up. He was also of the opinion that he shouldn't need to register not to be disturbed, and he's pretty ruthless on the 'phone when he wants to be . . . but eventually he grew tired of it . . . bosh. Job done.
2001, uk.local.lincolnshire (Usenet)It's the Kerry Godliman system. It's the most obvious route. It's direct... and it gets the job done. Bosh.
2018 October 31, Greg Davies, “The Pendulum Draws the Eye”, in Taskmaster, season 7, episode 9Synonyms: boom, bam, bang, bammo, bingo, bish bash bosh, bada bing bada boom, bingo bango
bosh5
present singular third person boshes · participle present boshing · participle past boshed · past boshed
- UKslangtransitiveTo consume (illicit drugs).
We boshed two grams each of the beast 10, and then we went downstairs.
1996, Aidan Macfarlane, Magnus Macfarlane, Philip Robson, The user: the truth about drugs, what they do, how they feel, and why people take them2 more examples
People want to make sure they are loaded up well before midnight. It's not like any other party where they might not turn up until eleven. They commence boshing pills straight away […]
2015, Oliver Merlin, Clapham High Way, page 188I wasn’t on three (e) pills, I was on 1. So, I remember it. It’s only when you bosh that third pill you start losing it, that’s not really how you take ecstasy. Kids do that, but it’s a bit foolish. Not that I’m saying I haven’t done that!
2017, Jon Boon, James Desborough, The Shamen rapper who sang "Es are good" has revealed he was high on drugs every time he did TOTP (in The Mirror newspaper)
bosh6
plural boshes
- A fiddle (musical instrument).
My father broke his bosh one night when he was in Waterford.
Patrick "Pecker" Dunne quoted in 2009, Mícheál Ó hAodha, Migrants and Memory: The Forgotten “Postcolonials” (page 53)
Bosh7
- rareA surname.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounNonsense.
interjectionAn expression of disbelief or annoyance.
interjectionAn expression of speedy and satisfactory completion of a simple or straightforward task.
More synonyms by meaning
nounpretentious or silly talk or writing
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
bosh · noun, interjection
- Ottoman Turkishبوش“empty, unoccupied”
- Englishbosh
Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish بوش (boş, “empty, unoccupied”). Entered popular usage in English from the novels of James Justinian Morier.
More words from Ottoman Turkish
Full word history & related roots →bosh · noun
Compare German Posse (“farce, burlesque”), Italian bozzo (“a rough stone”), bozzetto (“a rough sketch”).
Full word history & related roots →bosh · interjection
An onomatopoeic formation, imitating a sudden blow.
Full word history & related roots →bosh · noun
- Romanibosh
- Englishbosh
Borrowed from Romani bosh.
More words from Romani
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with bosh
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
bosh. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bosh
“bosh.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bosh. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bosh,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bosh.
Source: bosh on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.