humbug

[ huhm-buhg ]

/ ˈhʌmˌbʌg /

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See synonyms for: humbug / humbugged / humbugging on Thesaurus.com

Definition of humbug

noun

something intended to delude or deceive.

the quality of falseness or deception.

a person who is not what he or she claims or pretends to be; impostor.

something devoid of sense or meaning; nonsense: a humbug of technical jargon.

British. a variety of hard mint candy.

verb (used with object), hum·bugged, hum·bug·ging.

to impose upon by humbug or false pretense; delude; deceive.

verb (used without object), hum·bugged, hum·bug·ging.

to practice humbug.

interjection

(used as an expletive to express rejection of something as being completely untrue or nonsensical.)

OTHER WORDS FOR humbug

1 imposition.

2 pretense, sham.

3 pretender, deceiver, charlatan, swindler, quack, confidence man.

6 cheat, swindle, trick, fool, dupe.

See synonyms for humbug on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of humbug

First recorded in 1730–40; origin uncertain

OTHER WORDS FROM humbug

humbugger, noun

Words nearby humbug

Humboldt, Humboldt Bay, Humboldt Current, Humboldt Peak, humbucker, humbug, humbuggery, humdinger, humdrum, Hume, humectant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use humbug in a sentence

In the press, there were months of ridicule, with one politician describing it as “one of the greatest humbugs, frauds, and absurdities ever known.”
The metaverse is a new word for an old idea|Genevieve Bell|February 8, 2022|MIT Technology Review
Only a humbug would complain about this “Alice in Wonderland” like befuddlement.
‘Liar’s Dictionary’ a fab, queer tale for lovers of language|Kathi Wolfe|January 29, 2021|Washington Blade
There is, inevitably, a lot of self-serving humbug and a lot of tedious pap.
South Africa Kicks Off Week Of Mourning Mandela|Mark Gevisser|December 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
No one outside Limbaughland or Trumpville, Potemkin villages where no one will vote for Obama anyway, credited the humbug.
Robert Shrum on the Vice Presidential Debate: Biden’s Win Was a Big F@$&ing Deal|Robert Shrum|October 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST

We all bow to the seor, and I wonder if he is really the private secretary, or a private humbug, waiting around to ensnare us.
Gardens of the Caribbees, v. 1/2|Ida May Hill Starr
Did the manufacturers of Alleotone feel downcast over the exposure of their humbug?
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2|Various
In brief, Dowds scientific method is nothing more than unscientific humbug.
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2|Various
You will find him in these pages, just the same humbug Wizard as before.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz|L. Frank Baum
"The Wizard of Oz has always been a humbug," agreed Dorothy.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz|L. Frank Baum

British Dictionary definitions for humbug

humbug

/ (ˈhʌmˌbʌɡ) /

noun

a person or thing that tricks or deceives

nonsense; rubbish

British a hard boiled sweet, usually flavoured with peppermint and often having a striped pattern

verb -bugs, -bugging or -bugged

to cheat or deceive (someone)

Derived forms of humbug

humbugger, nounhumbuggery, noun

Word Origin for humbug

C18: of unknown origin

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

humbug

Definition of humbug

OTHER WORDS FOR humbug

Origin of humbug

OTHER WORDS FROM humbug

Words nearby humbug

Words related to humbug

How to use humbug in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for humbug

Derived forms of humbug

Word Origin for humbug