hype

¹

[hahyp]

verb (used with object)

hyped, hyping 

1. to stimulate, excite, or agitate (usually followed byup ).

   She was hyped up at the thought of owning her own car.

2. to create interest in by flamboyant or dramatic methods; promote or publicize showily.

   a promoter who knows how to hype a prizefight.

3. to intensify (advertising, promotion, or publicity) by ingenious or questionable claims, methods, etc. (usually followed byup ).

4. to trick; gull.

noun

1. exaggerated publicity; hoopla.

2. an ingenious or questionable claim, method, etc., used in advertising, promotion, or publicity to intensify the effect.

3. a swindle, deception, or trick.

hype

²

[hahyp]

noun

Slang.

1. a hypodermic needle.

2. Disparaging and Offensive.,  a person who is addicted to a drug, especially one who uses a hypodermic needle.

hype

¹

/ haɪp /

noun

1. a deception or racket

2. intensive or exaggerated publicity or sales promotion

   media hype

3. the person or thing so publicized

verb

1. to market or promote (a product) using exaggerated or intensive publicity

2. to falsify or rig (something)

3. (in the pop-music business) to buy (copies of a particular record) in such quantity as to increase its ratings in the charts

hype

²

/ haɪp /

noun

1. a hypodermic needle or injection

verb

1. to inject oneself with a drug

2. (tr) to stimulate artificially or excite

Other Word Forms

• hyper noun
• hyping noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hype¹

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30, in sense “to trick, swindle,” of uncertain origin; subsequent senses perhaps by reanalysis as a shortening of hyperbole

Origin of hype²

First recorded in 1920–25; shortening of hypodermic; hypo ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of hype¹

C20: of unknown origin

Origin of hype²

C20: shortened from _hypodermic

Example Sentences

He rejects the modern spectacle of boxing hype and trash talk, instead he advocates for the noble art of self-defence.

Read more on BBC

Much of the rest of Big Tech, and Wall Street, is caught up in the hype.

Read more on Barron's

Even before he started observing them, Dr Wright had bought into the hype a little.

Read more on BBC

Don’t believe the hype about AI as a job killer for older workers, says Michael Koch, chairman of the QSR AI Research Lab and chief executive of HubKonnect, which helps marketers with AI.

Read more on MarketWatch

There’s a lot of hype around gut health recently—for good reason.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• advertise 
• announce 
• boost 
• broadcast 
• pitch 
• promote 
• promulgate 
• tout 
• trumpet