bogus
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Other Word 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.
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
Last year, 80 percent of Bogus Basin’s pile survived torrential rainstorms and stretches of record summer heat.
From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026
Bogus messages may cause people to send money to fraudsters.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2021
When Grit Paulussen and her partner Matthias Bogus wanted to treat themselves to a rare evening out recently, they worked out a plan.
From BBC • Dec. 9, 2021
“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.
