bullshit
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
interjection
idioms
noun
-
exaggerated or foolish talk; nonsense
-
deceitful or pretentious talk
-
Usually shortened to: bull. (in the British Army) exaggerated zeal, esp for ceremonial drill, cleaning, polishing, etc
verb
-
(intr) to talk in an exaggerated or foolish manner
-
to talk bullshit to
Usage
This word was formerly considered to be taboo, and it was labelled as such in previous editions of Collins English Dictionary . However, it has now become acceptable in speech, although some older or more conservative people may object to its use
Other Word Forms
- bullshitter noun
Etymology
Origin of bullshit
First recorded in 1910–15; bull 1 (perhaps reinforced by bull 2 ) + shit
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.
Breaking down why the entire “Pilates can make you look like a skinny ballerina” premise is bullshit starts with the phrase “lean muscles.”
From Slate • Jul. 8, 2023
I teach a class on bullshit — an act, often with full confidence, intended to persuade, with no allegiance to truth.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 31, 2023
A thought like, "Joan Didion was a master prose stylist and brilliant thinker who said some real bullshit about feminism" cannot stand.
From Salon • Jan. 15, 2022
Inscryption cuts out most of the bullshit that comes with traditional deckbuilding games and allows me to get to the good stuff: building a deck so overpowered that I feel like a god.
From The Verge • Nov. 2, 2021
“Busy? I done seen all your cousins, Imani, your other friends… But you just straight up disappeared. Every time I ask for you, they give me some bullshit answer. ‘
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
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.
