hokum
Americannoun
-
out-and-out nonsense; bunkum.
-
elements of low comedy introduced into a play, novel, etc., for the laughs they may bring.
-
sentimental matter of an elementary or stereotyped kind introduced into a play or the like.
-
false or irrelevant material introduced into a speech, essay, etc., in order to arouse interest, excitement, or amusement.
noun
-
claptrap; bunk
-
obvious or hackneyed material of a sentimental nature in a play, film, etc
Etymology
Origin of hokum
1915–20, probably blend of hocus-pocus and bunkum
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.
And even though I knew the ins and outs of such hokum, I was still impressed.
From Literature
Gershman added that “virtually every fact contained in the report is likely already in the public domain” and said that the “idea that releasing the report will prejudice codefendants is hokum.”
From Salon
One former Tory minister said: “We need to call out this hokum”.
From BBC
I considered joining the eclipse crowds in Carbondale, Ill., where a news report on Atlas Obscura said that old-time apocalyptic fever — also known as modern-day conspiracy theorist hokum — had taken hold.
From Los Angeles Times
For all the creakily derivative supernatural hokum on display, the ghosts that haunt this movie turn out to be all too persuasively real.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
