hogwash
Americannoun
-
refuse given to hogs; swill.
-
any worthless stuff.
-
meaningless or insincere talk, writing, etc.; nonsense; bunk.
noun
-
informal nonsense
-
pigswill
Etymology
Origin of hogwash
1400–50; 1900–05 hogwash for def. 2; late Middle English. See hog, wash
Explanation
Hogwash is complete nonsense, lies, or ridiculous actions. If an advertisement claims that taking one vitamin pill a day will make you ten times stronger, that's hogwash. The informal hogwash is perfect for talking about falsehoods and foolishness. Your little brother may insist that his lemonade stand will make him a millionaire this summer, but you know that's hogwash. And many politicians give long speeches that seem, in retrospect, to be nothing but hogwash. The word has seen a dramatic evolution, from the fifteenth century "slops fed to pigs," to "cheap liquor" in the 1700s, to "inferior writing" towards the end of the eighteenth century.
Vocabulary lists containing hogwash
Wait, What? Confusing Compound Words
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!
Nothing But the Truth
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 Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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.
But without getting into cinema’s experiential humanity, it all begins to sound like hogwash.
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026
“Quite frankly, I think this is hogwash, and I think the way this has been spun is disingenuous and upsetting,” he said.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 28, 2023
Alas for the Supreme Pontiff, it was hogwash.
From Washington Post ● May 1, 2022
Under the circumstances, the response to these claims writes itself: They’re hogwash.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2022
I really hope this one bit of hogwash is true.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
