hoax
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have hoaxedperfect
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has hoaxedperfect 3rd person singular
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are hoaxingprogressive
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am hoaxingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been hoaxingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is hoaxingprogressive 3rd person singular
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hoaxessingular 3rd person
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have been hoaxingperfect progressive
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hoaxingparticiple
Past
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had hoaxedperfect
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had been hoaxingperfect progressive
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was hoaxingprogressive singular
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were hoaxingprogressive plural
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hoaxedsimple
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hoaxedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of hoax
First recorded in 1790–1800; perhaps contraction of hocus
Explanation
If you put on big fake feet, stomp through your muddy backyard and tell everyone you saw Bigfoot fixing a steak on your grill, you are playing a hoax on your friends. Hoax is believed to be a shortened version of hocus pocus, thus conveying the feeling of trickery and sleight of hand. April First, also known as April Fools' Day, is a day of hoaxes. Successful hoaxes in history: Orson Welles' War-of-the-Worlds radio broadcast in 1938 and the alien autopsy film footage made public in the 1990s. Do you believe the American moon landing in 1969 was a hoax? You're not alone. Six percent of Americans believe this event was staged.
Vocabulary lists containing hoax
Tricky Terms for April Fool's Day
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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Stargirl
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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.
Hoax threats against flights heading for other countries also lead to international agencies getting involved.
From BBC • Nov. 29, 2024
Her defamation claim concerns an October 2022 post on Trump's Truth Social platform in which he called her allegations a "complete con job" and "a Hoax and a lie."
From Reuters • May 8, 2023
Hoax calls to law enforcement have also been weaponized against tech executives and journalists.
From New York Times • Mar. 30, 2023
It is a Hoax and a lie, just like all the other Hoaxes that have been played on me for the past seven years.”
From Seattle Times • Nov. 23, 2022
The episode that became known as Hillari’s Hoax took place in her sophomore year, when she tried out for cheer- leading.
From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli
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.
