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humbug

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humbug

(hʌmbʌg)

Word forms: plural humbugs

1. uncountable noun

If you describe someone's language or behaviour as humbug, you mean that it is dishonest or insincere.

[disapproval]

There was all the usual humbug and obligatory compliments from ministers.

Synonyms: nonsense, rubbish, trash, hypocrisy More Synonyms of humbug

2. countable noun

You can refer to a person as a humbug when you think they are being dishonest, insincere, or pretending to be someone who they are not.

[old-fashioned, disapproval]

What a revolting humbug the man was!

Synonyms: fraud [informal], cheat, faker, charlatan More Synonyms of humbug

3. countable noun

A humbug is a hard, striped sweet that tastes of peppermint.

More Synonyms of humbug

humbug in British English

(ˈhʌmˌbʌɡ)

noun

a person or thing that tricks or deceives

nonsense; rubbish

3. British

a hard boiled sweet, usually flavoured with peppermint and often having a striped pattern

verbWord forms: -bugs, -bugging or -bugged

to cheat or deceive (someone)

Derived forms

humbugger (ˈhumˌbugger)

noun

humbuggery (ˈhumˌbuggery)

noun

Word origin

C18: of unknown origin

humbug in American English

(ˈhʌmˌbʌɡ) (verb -bugged, -bugging)

noun

something intended to delude or deceive

the quality of falseness or deception

a person who is not what he or she claims or pretends to be; impostor

something devoid of sense or meaning; nonsense

a humbug of technical jargon

5. Brit

a variety of hard mint candy

transitive verb

to impose upon by humbug or false pretense; delude; deceive

intransitive verb

to practice humbug

interjection

nonsense!

Derived forms

humbugger

noun

Word origin

[1730–40; orig. uncert.]

Examples of 'humbug' in a sentence
humbug

How much humbug should a woman put up with?By their verdict the jury have exposed this as pure humbug.For humbug and hypocrisy have been high on the menu.That the appearance of virtue makes so much money for an athlete means that humbug becomes an inevitable part of the deal.It stinks of humbug, hypocrisy and double standards.I presume it was for humbug and hypocrisy.Like many journalists, he was a curious mixture of conviction, opportunism and sheer humbug.

1 (noun) in the sense of nonsense

Definition

a speech or piece of writing that is obviously untrue, dishonest, or nonsense

She argued that the law on this matter was hypocritical humbug.

Synonyms

nonsense

Most orthodox doctors, however, dismiss this theory as complete nonsense.

rubbish

He's talking rubbish.

trash

Don't read that awful trash.

hypocrisy

cant

Politicians are holding forth with their usual hypocritical cant.

gammon

malarkey (British, informal)

baloney (informal)

claptrap (informal)

He talks a lot of pretentious claptrap.

quackery

eyewash (informal)

charlatanry

2 (noun) in the sense of fraud

Definition

a dishonest person

(old-fashioned)

What a revolting humbug the man was!

Synonyms

fraud (informal)

He believes many psychics are frauds.

cheat

He's nothing but a rotten cheat.

faker

charlatan

This so-called psychic was exposed as a charlatan.

quack

The man was a quack after all, just as Rosalinda had warned.

trickster

The veteran trickster had made a fortune in his 40 years of fraud.

conman or woman (informal)

con artist (informal)

impostor

He was an impostor who masqueraded as a doctor.

fraudster

swindler

Swindlers have cheated investors out of £12 million.

grifter (slang, mainly US, Canadian)

phoney or phony (informal)

rorter (Australian, slang)

3 (noun) in the sense of deception

Definition

a speech or piece of writing that is obviously untrue, dishonest, or nonsense

Synonyms

deception

You've been the victim of a rather cruel deception.

trick

That was a really mean trick.

fraud

He never wrote the letter; it was a fraud.

cheat

dodge

It was probably just a dodge to stop you going away.

bluff

The letter was a bluff.

sham

Their promises were exposed as a hollow sham.

imposition

hoax

His claim to have a bomb was a hoax.

deceit

The suspect was found guilty of theft, fraud and deceit on an incredible scale.

swindle

He fled to Switzerland rather than face trial for a tax swindle.

ruse

This was a ruse to divide them.

trickery

They will resort to trickery in order to impress their clients.

canard

feint

a tiny feint or lunge to one side

wile

His wit and wile has made him one of the sharpest politicians in the Cabinet.

imposture

(verb) in the sense of deceive

Synonyms

deceive

He has deceived and disillusioned us all.

impose

trick

He'll be upset when he finds out how you tricked him.

fool

Art dealers fool a lot of people.

take in (informal)

cheat

He cheated people out of their life savings.

con (informal)

He claimed that the businessman had conned him out of his life savings.

mislead

Ministers knowingly misled the public.

hoax

He recently hoaxed a number of celebrities.

dupe

Some of the offenders duped the psychologists.

beguile

He used his newspapers to beguile his readers.

gull (archaic)

Consumers are no longer so easily gulled into paying extra for a designer label.

delude

We delude ourselves that we are in control.

swindle

He swindled investors out of millions of pounds.

bamboozle (informal)

He was bamboozled by conmen.

hoodwink

Many people are hoodwinked by the so-called beauty industry.

cozen

befool

Additional synonyms

in the sense of bamboozle

Definition

to cheat

He was bamboozled by conmen.

Synonyms

cheat,

do (informal),

kid (informal),

skin (slang),

trick,

fool,

take in (informal),

con (informal),

stiff,

sting (informal),

mislead,

rip off (slang),

thwart,

deceive,

fleece,

hoax,

defraud,

dupe,

beguile,

gull (archaic),

delude,

swindle,

stitch up (slang),

victimize,

hoodwink,

double-cross (informal),

diddle (informal),

take for a ride (informal),

do the dirty on (British, informal),

bilk,

pull a fast one on (informal),

cozen

in the sense of beguile

Definition

to charm (someone) into doing something he or she would not normally do

He used his newspapers to beguile his readers.

Synonyms

fool,

trick,

take in,

cheat,

con (informal),

mislead,

impose on,

deceive,

dupe,

gull (archaic),

delude,

bamboozle,

hoodwink,

take for a ride (informal),

befool

in the sense of bluff

Definition

deliberate deception to create the impression of a strong position

The letter was a bluff.

Synonyms

deception,

show,

lie,

fraud,

fake,

sham,

pretence,

deceit,

bravado,

bluster,

humbug,

subterfuge,

feint,

mere show

Nearby words of
humbug

humble
humble yourself
humbly
humbug
humdrum
humid
humidity

Synonyms of 'humbug'

humbug

Explore 'humbug' in the dictionary

单词	humbug
释义	Trends of humbug View usage for: humbug (hʌmbʌg) Word forms: plural humbugs 1. uncountable noun If you describe someone's language or behaviour as humbug, you mean that it is dishonest or insincere. [disapproval] There was all the usual humbug and obligatory compliments from ministers. Synonyms: nonsense, rubbish, trash, hypocrisy More Synonyms of humbug 2. countable noun You can refer to a person as a humbug when you think they are being dishonest, insincere, or pretending to be someone who they are not. [old-fashioned, disapproval] What a revolting humbug the man was! Synonyms: fraud [informal], cheat, faker, charlatan More Synonyms of humbug 3. countable noun A humbug is a hard, striped sweet that tastes of peppermint. More Synonyms of humbug humbug in British English (ˈhʌmˌbʌɡ) noun 1. a person or thing that tricks or deceives 2. nonsense; rubbish 3. British a hard boiled sweet, usually flavoured with peppermint and often having a striped pattern verbWord forms: -bugs, -bugging or -bugged 4. to cheat or deceive (someone) Derived forms humbugger (ˈhumˌbugger) noun humbuggery (ˈhumˌbuggery) noun Word origin C18: of unknown origin humbug in American English (ˈhʌmˌbʌɡ) (verb -bugged, -bugging) noun 1. something intended to delude or deceive 2. the quality of falseness or deception 3. a person who is not what he or she claims or pretends to be; impostor 4. something devoid of sense or meaning; nonsense a humbug of technical jargon 5. Brit a variety of hard mint candy transitive verb 6. to impose upon by humbug or false pretense; delude; deceive intransitive verb 7. to practice humbug interjection 8. nonsense! Derived forms humbugger noun Word origin [1730–40; orig. uncert.] Examples of 'humbug' in a sentence humbug How much humbug should a woman put up with? Times, Sunday Times (2016) By their verdict the jury have exposed this as pure humbug. Times, Sunday Times (2011) For humbug and hypocrisy have been high on the menu. Times, Sunday Times (2006) That the appearance of virtue makes so much money for an athlete means that humbug becomes an inevitable part of the deal. Times, Sunday Times (2011) It stinks of humbug, hypocrisy and double standards. The Sun (2013) I presume it was for humbug and hypocrisy. The Sun (2016) Like many journalists, he was a curious mixture of conviction, opportunism and sheer humbug. Times, Sunday Times (2012) 1 (noun) in the sense of nonsense Definition a speech or piece of writing that is obviously untrue, dishonest, or nonsense She argued that the law on this matter was hypocritical humbug. Synonyms nonsense Most orthodox doctors, however, dismiss this theory as complete nonsense. rubbish He's talking rubbish. trash Don't read that awful trash. hypocrisy cant Politicians are holding forth with their usual hypocritical cant. gammon malarkey (British, informal) baloney (informal) claptrap (informal) He talks a lot of pretentious claptrap. quackery eyewash (informal) charlatanry 2 (noun) in the sense of fraud Definition a dishonest person (old-fashioned) What a revolting humbug the man was! Synonyms fraud (informal) He believes many psychics are frauds. cheat He's nothing but a rotten cheat. faker charlatan This so-called psychic was exposed as a charlatan. quack The man was a quack after all, just as Rosalinda had warned. trickster The veteran trickster had made a fortune in his 40 years of fraud. conman or woman (informal) con artist (informal) impostor He was an impostor who masqueraded as a doctor. fraudster swindler Swindlers have cheated investors out of £12 million. grifter (slang, mainly US, Canadian) phoney or phony (informal) rorter (Australian, slang) 3 (noun) in the sense of deception Definition a speech or piece of writing that is obviously untrue, dishonest, or nonsense Synonyms deception You've been the victim of a rather cruel deception. trick That was a really mean trick. fraud He never wrote the letter; it was a fraud. cheat dodge It was probably just a dodge to stop you going away. bluff The letter was a bluff. sham Their promises were exposed as a hollow sham. imposition hoax His claim to have a bomb was a hoax. deceit The suspect was found guilty of theft, fraud and deceit on an incredible scale. swindle He fled to Switzerland rather than face trial for a tax swindle. ruse This was a ruse to divide them. trickery They will resort to trickery in order to impress their clients. canard feint a tiny feint or lunge to one side wile His wit and wile has made him one of the sharpest politicians in the Cabinet. imposture (verb) in the sense of deceive Synonyms deceive He has deceived and disillusioned us all. impose trick He'll be upset when he finds out how you tricked him. fool Art dealers fool a lot of people. take in (informal) cheat He cheated people out of their life savings. con (informal) He claimed that the businessman had conned him out of his life savings. mislead Ministers knowingly misled the public. hoax He recently hoaxed a number of celebrities. dupe Some of the offenders duped the psychologists. beguile He used his newspapers to beguile his readers. gull (archaic) Consumers are no longer so easily gulled into paying extra for a designer label. delude We delude ourselves that we are in control. swindle He swindled investors out of millions of pounds. bamboozle (informal) He was bamboozled by conmen. hoodwink Many people are hoodwinked by the so-called beauty industry. cozen befool Additional synonyms in the sense of bamboozle Definition to cheat He was bamboozled by conmen. Synonyms cheat, do (informal), kid (informal), skin (slang), trick, fool, take in (informal), con (informal), stiff, sting (informal), mislead, rip off (slang), thwart, deceive, fleece, hoax, defraud, dupe, beguile, gull (archaic), delude, swindle, stitch up (slang), victimize, hoodwink, double-cross (informal), diddle (informal), take for a ride (informal), do the dirty on (British, informal), bilk, pull a fast one on (informal), cozen in the sense of beguile Definition to charm (someone) into doing something he or she would not normally do He used his newspapers to beguile his readers. Synonyms fool, trick, take in, cheat, con (informal), mislead, impose on, deceive, dupe, gull (archaic), delude, bamboozle, hoodwink, take for a ride (informal), befool in the sense of bluff Definition deliberate deception to create the impression of a strong position The letter was a bluff. Synonyms deception, show, lie, fraud, fake, sham, pretence, deceit, bravado, bluster, humbug, subterfuge, feint, mere show Nearby words of humbug humble humble yourself humbly humbug humdrum humid humidity Synonyms of 'humbug' humbug Explore 'humbug' in the dictionary
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Trends ofhumbug

humbug

humbug in British English

humbug in American English

Examples of 'humbug' in a sentencehumbug

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Synonyms of 'humbug'

humbug

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humbug

Examples of 'humbug' in a sentence
humbug

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humbug