noun
-
empty talk; nonsense
-
empty or insincere speechmaking by a politician to please voters or gain publicity
Etymology
Origin of bunkum
An Americansim dating back to 1815–20; after a speech in the16th Congress (1819–21), by F. Walker, who said he was bound to speak for Buncombe (a county in the district in North Carolina that he represented)
Explanation
Bunkum is anything unacceptable, especially ridiculous lies. Calling something bunkum is like saying it's nonsense or rubbish. There's a lot of nonsense in the world, and there's also a ton of words that mean something similar to nonsense, like bunkum. People say "That's bunkum!" when something is false, crazy, or unfair. Getting fired for no reason is bunkum. A string of clichés from a politician is bunkum. An obvious lie is bunkum. This word especially applies to exaggerations and falsehoods. Someone who spins tall tales likes to talk bunkum, which is also called bunk.
Vocabulary lists containing bunkum
The BFG
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Fever 1793
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Unmapped Sea
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Bunkum for everyone and destruction for norms of ethics and morality.
From New York Times • Mar. 16, 2018
Bunkum is fast-talking James Nicholson, 50; Ballyhoo is fast-talking Samuel Arkoff, 48.
From Time Magazine Archive
The old team of Bunkum & Ballyhoo isn't dead.
From Time Magazine Archive
Bunkum, too, say the soil men, is the notion that the world has little new soil to cultivate.
From Time Magazine Archive
I'm sure I don't care; and I'm sure she don't; so live and let live; talk plain truth, and leave Bunkum for right honourables who keep their places thereby.
From Two Years Ago, Volume II. by Kingsley, Charles
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.
