knock on wood
English · Thesaurus
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knock on wood
- /ˌnɒk ɒn ˈwʊd/ UK
- /ˌnɑk ɑn ˈwʊd/ US
- [ˌnäk än ˈwʊd] US
- /ˌnɑk ɔn ˈwʊd/
Where it comes from
From a folk practice of unclear origin.
verb knocks on wood · knocking on wood · knocked on wood
-
To take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted by a presumptuous statement.
Similar: touch wood
interjection
-
Hopefully; 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.
Similar: touch wood
Translations
Every language
verb to take a customary action to ward off misfortune
| Español | tocar madera |
|---|---|
| Português | bater na madeira |
| Français | toucher du bois |
| Deutsch | auf Holz klopfen |
| Italiano | toccare ferro |
| Română | bate în lemn |
intj hopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action
| Español | toca madera |
|---|---|
| Français | touchons du bois |
| Deutsch | (dreimal) auf Holz klopfen |
| Italiano | tocca ferro, tocchiamo ferro |
| Русский | тьфу-тьфу-тьфу tʹfu-tʹfu-tʹfu, тьфу-тьфу tʹfu-tʹfu |
| עברית | טפו טפו טפו tfu tfu tfu, טפו טפו tfu tfu, חמסה חמסה חמסה khámsa khámsa khámsa, חמסה חמסה khámsa khámsa |
Talk about this word "knock on wood." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/knock%20on%20wood. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. knock on wood. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/knock%20on%20wood "knock on wood." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/knock%20on%20wood.Cite this
@misc{knock_on_wood_2026,
title = {knock on wood},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/knock%20on%20wood},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
