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to suck rocks

to suck rocks

1 9.9
To be very bad or disappointing
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : ser decepcionante
  • After playing the game for an hour, I realized it sucks rocks and I want my money back.

Examples

  • The movie was supposed to be a hit, but it really sucks rocks.

  • The side effects suck rocks.

    Blog text (25)
  • I thought the concert would be amazing, but it sucks rocks compared to last year's.

Synonyms

to suck
vsto suck rocks
  • Informal
910 8.0

To be very bad or unpleasant

focuses more on disappointment or unpleasantness rather than general poor quality
to suck donkey balls
vsto suck rocks
  • Offensive
1 9.9

To be very bad or disappointing

is milder and less vulgar while still meaning very disappointing

Antonyms

172 2.0

Make someone happy by meeting their need or wish

79 2.1

To please someone very much

How Bad

to suck rocks
  • Informal
1 9.9
to suck
  • Informal
910 8.0

Surface Forms

suck rocks infinitive
sucked rocks past participle
sucking rocks present participle
sucks rocks third person singular

Morphology

suck + rocks

A B1 learner who knows 'suck' as 'to be awful' will readily infer the core negative meaning, but the addition of 'rocks' is non-compositional and functions as a colloquial intensifier rather than contributing a clear literal sense. The construction is informal and not a standard compositional pattern, so the meaning is partly derivable but not fully predictable without exposure.

Etymology

Suck rocks gives a shocking, literal image: imagine trying to suck hard rocks — it would be painful and pointless. People used that picture to say something is really bad or unpleasant, and now suck rocks means 'to be very disappointing or unpleasant'.