Meaning & use
what a knob
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformaldisapprovingBritish
An exclamation meaning someone is acting stupidly or annoyingly, used as a mild insult.
Grammar: Used on its own as an exclamation, or as a noun phrase: 'He's what a knob' is not correct; say 'What a knob!' or 'He's a knob.'
Patterns
- What a knob!
- He's a knob.
- She can be a knob sometimes.
What a knob! He just cut in front of everyone in the queue.
I can't believe he forgot my birthday again — what a knob.
She called him a knob after he spilled coffee on her laptop.
phrasefixed phrasevulgarslangoffensive
A vulgar slang expression referring to a man's penis, used as an insult.
Grammar: This is very rude and should only be used in very informal, vulgar contexts. It is not used in polite conversation.
Patterns
- What a knob!
- He's a knob.
The comedian made a crude joke about a knob, and some people laughed.
In British slang, calling someone a knob is a vulgar insult.
Common combinations
- what a knob
- What a knob! He just parked in the disabled space.
- call someone a knob
- She called him a knob after he spilled coffee on her laptop.
- act like a knob
- Stop acting like a knob and apologize.
- be a knob
- He's being a knob about the whole thing.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: what a knob or nob? what a knob or knob?
what a knob vs nob
A 'nob' can mean a rich or upper-class person, or a head (slang). 'Knob' is a different word and is more insulting.
what a knob vs knob
As a noun, 'knob' means a round handle or a small lump. The insult 'what a knob' comes from a different, vulgar use.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'what a knob' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'What a knob' is an exclamation, so it comes at the beginning: 'What a knob he is!' The other options have incorrect word order.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “what a knob”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.