bogus
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of bogus
1825–30, originally an apparatus for coining false money; perhaps akin to bogy 1
Explanation
Bogus means fake. A bogus dollar bill is counterfeit, a bogus Picasso was not painted by him, and a bogus attempt at reconciliation would come from someone who never intended to end a fight. The word bogus originated in the U.S. It was coined as a name for a machine that printed counterfeit money and later became a trademark term among California surfers. In surfer speak, "totally bogus, dude" would describe any unfortunate situation.
Vocabulary lists containing bogus
Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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Smoke and Mirrors: The Lingo of Illusion and Deception
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bogus job adverts lure people overseas who can't find work in their home country.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
Just outside Boise, Idaho, a home owned by a onetime Winter Olympian near the Bogus Basin ski resort is hitting the market for $6.8 million.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
But for both Sun Peaks, which shelled out $180,000 for a larger blanket, and Bogus Basin, which spent $120,000, the investment has paid off.
From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026
Bogus leads — a stranger with a “vision” at Point Defiance Park, a Dallas child with a resemblance to Teekah — sent investigators to dead ends.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 23, 2024
“All the times me and Jasper hassled you, it was wrong, okay? Bogus and wrong.”
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
