humbug
Other forms: humbugs; humbugging; humbugged
Humbug is language that's either deceptive or just ridiculous. Either way, it's verbal garbage and inspires people to mutter "Bah! Humbug!" — just like Scrooge did in A Christmas Carol.
Humbug is one of many words in English for language that can't be trusted. Humbug is like snake oil: it's deceptive, tricky, and meant to put one over on you. There's a slightly different type of humbug that refers to nonsense: speech or writing that's silly, pretentious, or just empty. When someone is talking a lot but saying nothing, they're talking humbug.
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something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage
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communication (written or spoken) intended to deceive
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synonyms:
snake oil
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type of:
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deceit, deception, misrepresentation
a misleading falsehood
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deceit, deception, misrepresentation
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pretentious or silly talk or writing
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synonyms:
baloney, bilgewater, boloney, bosh, drool, taradiddle, tarradiddle, tommyrot, tosh, twaddle
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type of:
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bunk, hokum, meaninglessness, nonsense, nonsensicality
a message that seems to convey no meaning
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bunk, hokum, meaninglessness, nonsense, nonsensicality
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a person who is intentionally deceptive or insincere
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trick or deceive
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- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing humbug
Using trial manuscripts, archival materials, and interviews following President Abraham Lincoln's assassination, Swanson details the wild twelve-day chase to capture John Wilkes Booth.
Eighteen-year-old Ella Minnow Pea fights to save her family, friends, and neighbors after the local government forbids the use certain letters of the alphabet in written and spoken communications.
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