What does cocksucker mean?
"Cocksucker" is a coarse English noun with two related senses: literally, a person who performs oral sex on a man, and figuratively, a contemptible, irritating, or obsequious person, the latter usage being especially common in American English. The word combines "cock," a longstanding slang term for the penis, with "sucker," and its literal meaning dates back centuries, appearing in early modern English texts. It ranks among the most taboo words in the language: dictionaries record it, but style guides and broadcast standards treat it as far stronger than ordinary swearwords. Because of its sexual explicitness and aggressive force, using it in professional, formal, or mixed company risks causing serious offence, and in some jurisdictions its use as directed abuse may carry legal consequences. Learners should recognise the word when encountered in film, literature, or heated speech, but are well advised never to deploy it themselves.
nounA vulgar, highly offensive term for a person who performs fellatio; used figuratively as an insult directed at someone regarded as contemptible or obsequious.
- A person who performs fellatio (vulgar).
- A contemptible, annoying, or servile person used as a general insult, chiefly in American English.
"He called his rival a cocksucker in front of the whole bar, and the room went silent."
"The screenplay was full of profanity, but even so the repeated use of 'cocksucker' shocked the censors."
"'That arrogant little cocksucker cut me off again,' he muttered at the driver ahead of him."
Regular plural; equally offensive.
"He dismissed them all as a bunch of lying cocksuckers."
One of the most taboo words in English, it appears in the Oxford English Dictionary — proof that even the most vulgar slang gets scholarly treatment.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cocksucker
The compound derives from "cock," a slang word for the penis attested in English from around the early seventeenth century (and possibly earlier), combined with "suck." The literal compound appears in English texts by the late nineteenth century, though similar compounds likely circulated orally long before print attestation. It belongs to the same family of Anglo-Saxon-derived sexual vocabulary as other blunt anatomical terms, with no Latin or Greek cognates.
How cocksucker is actually used
Extremely vulgar and offensive; avoid entirely in formal, professional, or polite contexts. The insulting sense is chiefly North American. Its use can constitute harassment or verbal abuse in many legal and workplace settings.