knock on wood

UK/ˌnɒk ɒn ˈwʊd/US/ˌnɑk ɑn ˈwʊd/US[ˌnäk än ˈwʊd]/ˌnɑk ɔn ˈwʊd/

verb

To take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted by a presumptuous statement.

“I do a lot of walking, and I have never had any knee problems yet, knock on wood.”

Similar
touch wood
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Meanings

verbknock on wood (third-person singular simple present knocks on wood, present participle knocking on wood, simple past and past participle knocked on wood)

present singular third person knocks on wood · participle present knocking on wood · participle past knocked on wood · past knocked on wood

  1. PhilippinesUSidiomaticTo take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted by a presumptuous statement.

    Synonyms: touch wood

interjection
  1. PhilippinesUSidiomaticHopefully; a self-directive to undertake the customary action to ward off bad luck.

    I do a lot of walking, and I have never had any knee problems yet, knock on wood.

    Synonyms: touch wood

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted by a presumptuous statement.

Similar
touch wood

interjectionHopefully; a self-directive to undertake the customary action to ward off bad luck.

Similar
touch wood
Also see
touch wood

Origin

From a folk practice of unclear origin.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan tocar fusta, tocar ferro
  • tocar fustato take a customary action to ward off misfortune
  • tocar ferroto take a customary action to ward off misfortune
  • toca fustahopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
  • toca ferrohopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
Chinese Cantonese 大吉利市
  • 大吉利市hopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
Danish banke under bordet, 7-9-13
  • banke under bordetto take a customary action to ward off misfortune
  • 7-9-13hopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
Dutch afkloppen, hout vasthouden
  • afkloppento take a customary action to ward off misfortune
  • hout vasthoudento take a customary action to ward off misfortune
Estonian vastu puud koputama
  • vastu puud koputamato take a customary action to ward off misfortune
Finnish koputtaa puuta, koputa puuta
  • koputtaa puutato take a customary action to ward off misfortune
  • koputa puutahopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
French toucher du bois, touchons du bois
  • toucher du boisto take a customary action to ward off misfortune
  • touchons du boishopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
German auf Holz klopfen, (dreimal) auf Holz klopfen
  • auf Holz klopfento take a customary action to ward off misfortune
  • (dreimal) auf Holz klopfenhopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
Hebrew טפו טפו טפו, טפו טפו
  • טפו טפו טפו (tfu tfu tfu)hopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
  • טפו טפו (tfu tfu)hopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
  • חמסה חמסה חמסה (khámsa khámsa khámsa)hopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
  • חמסה חמסה (khámsa khámsa)hopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
Hungarian lekopog, lekopogom
  • lekopogto take a customary action to ward off misfortune
  • lekopogomhopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
Indonesian amit-amit, amit-amit
  • amit-amitto take a customary action to ward off misfortune
  • amit-amithopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
Italian toccare ferro, tocca ferro
  • toccare ferroto take a customary action to ward off misfortune
  • tocca ferrohopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
  • tocchiamo ferrohopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
Malay choi
  • choihopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
Norwegian banke i bordet
  • banke i bordetto take a customary action to ward off misfortune
Polish odpukać w niemalowane drewno, odpukać
  • odpukać w niemalowane drewnoto take a customary action to ward off misfortune
  • odpukaćhopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
Portuguese bater na madeira
  • bater na madeirato take a customary action to ward off misfortune
Romanian bate în lemn
  • bate în lemnto take a customary action to ward off misfortune
Russian тьфу-тьфу-тьфу, тьфу-тьфу
  • тьфу-тьфу-тьфу (tʹfu-tʹfu-tʹfu)hopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
  • тьфу-тьфу (tʹfu-tʹfu)hopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
Spanish tocar madera, toca madera
  • tocar maderato take a customary action to ward off misfortune
  • toca maderahopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
Swedish peppar, peppar, ta i trä, peppar, peppar, ta i trä
  • peppar, peppar, ta i träto take a customary action to ward off misfortune
  • peppar, peppar, ta i trähopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
  • peppar pepparhopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
Turkish tahtaya vur
  • tahtaya vurhopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
Cite this entry
APA

knock on wood. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/knock%20on%20wood

MLA

“knock on wood.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/knock%20on%20wood. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “knock on wood,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/knock%20on%20wood.

Source: knock on wood on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.