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.
People might fall down political rabbit holes, taken in by superficially convincing bullshit, or obsessed by folies à deux relationships with machine personalities that don’t really exist.
From Slate • Apr. 21, 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
People who aren’t thinking about small-town bullshit or, say, the humanities homework they have yet to complete.
From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King
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.
