humbug

[ huhm-buhg ]

/ ˈhʌmˌbʌg /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR humbug ON THESAURUS.COM

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.)

Nearby words

humblebrag, humboldt, humboldt bay, humboldt peak, humbucker, humbug, humbuggery, humdinger, humdrum, hume, hume's law

Origin of humbug

First recorded in 1730–40; origin uncertain

SYNONYMS FOR humbug

1 imposition.

2 pretense, sham.

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

6 cheat, swindle, trick, fool, dupe.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR humbug ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formshum·bug·ger, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for humbug

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
I know you're there, trying to humbug me, I saw you in town; come on in, and don't be making a fool of yourself.'
Real Ghost Stories|William T. Stead
Well, what does that matter, you humbug, when Law is going to make millions for us?
The Conspirators|Alexandre Dumas (Pere)
I knew it was humbug; but I had to eat no end of humble pie, all the same.
A Pessimist|Robert Timsol

Why I told him all about it myself only an hour ago, and then he goes off to humbug you.
The Violet Fairy Book|Various
When a man looks at everything through this dwarfing philosophy, everything has a great modicum of humbug.
Tomlinsoniana|Edward Bulwer-Lytton

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 Formshumbugger, 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

noun

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

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

interjection

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Nearby words

Origin of humbug

Examples from the Web for humbug

British Dictionary definitions for humbug

humbug

noun

verb -bugs, -bugging or -bugged

Word Origin for humbug