claptrap

[ klap-trap ]
/ ˈklæpˌtræp /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR claptrap ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

pretentious but insincere or empty language: His speeches seem erudite but analysis reveals them to be mere claptrap.
any artifice or expedient for winning applause or impressing the public.

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Origin of claptrap

First recorded in 1720–30; clap1 + trap1

Words nearby claptrap

clappy-doo, clap skate, clapt, Clapton, Clapton's line, claptrap, claque, claqueur, clar., Clara, clarabella
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to claptrap

bunk, bombast, drivel, nonsense

Example sentences from the Web for claptrap

British Dictionary definitions for claptrap

claptrap
/ (ˈklæpˌtræp) /

noun informal

contrived but foolish talk
insincere and pretentious talkpoliticians' claptrap

Word Origin for claptrap

C18 (in the sense: something contrived to elicit applause): from clap 1 + trap 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012