hype
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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hypes,
present (3rd person singular)
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hyped,
past participle, past
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hyping
present participle
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to stimulate, excite, or agitate (usually followed byup ).
She was hyped up at the thought of owning her own car.
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to create interest in by flamboyant or dramatic methods; promote or publicize showily.
a promoter who knows how to hype a prizefight.
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to intensify (advertising, promotion, or publicity) by ingenious or questionable claims, methods, etc. (usually followed byup ).
noun
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exaggerated publicity; hoopla.
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an ingenious or questionable claim, method, etc., used in advertising, promotion, or publicity to intensify the effect.
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a swindle, deception, or trick.
noun
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Disparaging and Offensive. a person who is addicted to a drug, especially one who uses a hypodermic needle.
noun
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a deception or racket
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intensive or exaggerated publicity or sales promotion
media hype
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the person or thing so publicized
verb
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to market or promote (a product) using exaggerated or intensive publicity
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to falsify or rig (something)
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(in the pop-music business) to buy (copies of a particular record) in such quantity as to increase its ratings in the charts
noun
verb
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to inject oneself with a drug
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(tr) to stimulate artificially or excite
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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hypesimple
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hypessimple
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have hypedperfect
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has hypedperfect
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am hypingprogressive
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are hypingprogressive
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is hypingprogressive
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have been hypingperfect progressive
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has been hypingperfect progressive
Past
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hypedsimple
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had hypedperfect
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was hypingprogressive
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were hypingprogressive
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had been hypingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of hype1
An Americanism dating back to 1820–30, in sense “to trick, swindle,” of uncertain origin; subsequent senses perhaps by reanalysis as a shortening of hyperbole
Origin of hype2
First recorded in 1920–25; shortening of hypodermic; cf. hypo 1
Explanation
As a noun, hype means extravagant claims about a person or product. All the hype about a miraculous new kind of mop might influence you to buy one, but after trying it out you'll realize it's just a mop. Experts speculate that the word hype may be a back formation of hyperbole, or it may come from hyper — old-fashioned slang for a person who swindled someone. As a verb, to hype something is to blatantly promote it. If you hype your favorite restaurant enough, your friends will finally try it. If they all hate it, though, they might never listen to you again!
Vocabulary lists containing hype
The 57 Bus
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Why We Fly
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Chomp
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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.
See Examples For:
Danil Boparai, a content strategy director at Dazed, thinks "the hype is justified".
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Could all this hype really be for a chicken finger?
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
Before going inside, Duffy pauses to hype up his brood by sharing that none other than Ken Griffin bought one of the original copies of the Constitution to put on public display.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
Meanwhile, Bourne acknowledged that hype around Nvidia’s results has changed as investors increasingly expect an earnings beat.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
“I wanted to know what all the hype was about!” says Mr. Ramirez.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
These days, Crews, 57, serves as the host of “America’s Got Talent,” currently in its 21st season, where he hypes up contestants looking to win the approval of judges including Simon Cowell and Sofía Vergara.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
Hynes: When you see their huddles, like pregame stuff it just hypes you up, and you're just like, "Yeah, that's a real family."
From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2024
As well as singing, the songmaster decides when the song is sung - usually after special victories - and hypes up team-mates by recapping performances of individuals in the match.
From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2023
“We also wanted to create a community that’s full of positivity and hypes each other up! We want to get to know our actual fans,” Fat Joe added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2023
Sails hypes the crowd up with a pregame speech that is straight of a wrestling promo.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 30, 2023
The remote site, which spans an area nearly twice the size of Los Angeles, is home to one of the most hyped projects in the energy market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The player hyped up as golf’s next big thing for years had fully arrived.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
A US review panel on Thursday recommended loosening restrictions on the much hyped peptide BPC-157, voting that specialized pharmacies be allowed to produce it despite alarm bells from medical experts over safety concerns.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
So while some fans teared up at her lyrics and others beamed with excitement, everyone was hyped to experience Rodrigo’s new album.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
On the way to the hotel, all the girls are hyped to get a little slice of summer, even though Old Man Winter has already arrived.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
As it is, he’s spending his time hyping this deal as the conclusion of a narrative that casts him as a big hero.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
Flags were waving with the players hyping up the crowd, occasionally throwing Arsenal scarves out towards the fans.
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
They said the focus likely will be on companies hyping AI businesses without having actual technology advantages, using overseas operations to skirt domestic regulations, or flouting Beijing’s orders against price wars.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
I’m going to be hyping up some people that maybe you’ve heard of, or maybe you haven’t heard of.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
Brick speaks into my ear, hyping me up.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
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.
