humbug
Americannoun
-
something intended to delude or deceive.
- Synonyms:
- imposition
-
the quality of falseness or deception.
-
a person who is not what they claim or pretend to be; impostor.
-
something devoid of sense or meaning; nonsense.
a humbug of technical jargon.
-
British. a variety of hard mint candy.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
interjection
noun
-
a person or thing that tricks or deceives
-
nonsense; rubbish
-
a hard boiled sweet, usually flavoured with peppermint and often having a striped pattern
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
humbugsimple
-
humbugssimple
-
have humbuggedperfect
-
has humbuggedperfect
-
are humbuggingprogressive
-
am humbuggingprogressive
-
is humbuggingprogressive
-
have been humbuggingperfect progressive
-
has been humbuggingperfect progressive
Past
-
humbuggedsimple
-
had humbuggedperfect
-
was humbuggingprogressive
-
were humbuggingprogressive
-
had been humbuggingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of humbug
First recorded in 1730–40; origin uncertain
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing humbug
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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"Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell
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The Time Machine
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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.
Kielty said he'll be spending three hours there, using a combination of cosmetics and prosthetic moulds to transform into the infamous green humbug.
From BBC • Dec. 5, 2025
If holiday clutter has you more bah humbug than merry, these tips from professional organizers around Seattle might make your life easier before and after the holidays, and well into the new year.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 15, 2023
In her more measured than humbug review, Bahr said “Spirited” “comes up short as a musical,” but “is still pretty enjoyable.”
From Washington Times • Nov. 11, 2022
That said, humbug was used widely enough that its definition, at least, is clear.
From Salon • Dec. 25, 2021
From their ranks at Corinthian Hall, Wednesday night’s audience selected a five-man committee to test Maggie and Leah and decide whether the rappings were a humbug.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
