hype

¹

[hahyp]

verb (used with object)

hyped, hyping 

1. to stimulate, excite, or agitate (usually followed byup ).

   She was hyped up at the thought of owning her own car.

2. to create interest in by flamboyant or dramatic methods; promote or publicize showily.

   a promoter who knows how to hype a prizefight.

3. to intensify (advertising, promotion, or publicity) by ingenious or questionable claims, methods, etc. (usually followed byup ).

4. to trick; gull.

noun

1. exaggerated publicity; hoopla.

2. an ingenious or questionable claim, method, etc., used in advertising, promotion, or publicity to intensify the effect.

3. a swindle, deception, or trick.

hype

²

[hahyp]

noun

Slang.

1. a hypodermic needle.

2. Disparaging and Offensive.,  a person who is addicted to a drug, especially one who uses a hypodermic needle.

hype

¹

/ haɪp /

noun

1. a deception or racket

2. intensive or exaggerated publicity or sales promotion

   media hype

3. the person or thing so publicized

verb

1. to market or promote (a product) using exaggerated or intensive publicity

2. to falsify or rig (something)

3. (in the pop-music business) to buy (copies of a particular record) in such quantity as to increase its ratings in the charts

hype

²

/ haɪp /

noun

1. a hypodermic needle or injection

verb

1. to inject oneself with a drug

2. (tr) to stimulate artificially or excite

Other Word Forms

• hyper noun
• hyping noun

Word History and Origins

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; hypo ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of hype¹

C20: of unknown origin

Origin of hype²

C20: shortened from _hypodermic

Example Sentences

The rock story of the year was the meteoric rise of the New York band Geese, and its album “Getting Killed” easily lived up to the hype.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That makes bond investors especially attuned to the risk that outsize AI investments won’t live up to their hype; even a ratings downgrade can hurt returns, let alone a default.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

On one side were promises of instant transformation; on the other, eye rolls about hype and bubbles.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Alexander Isak was hauled off in the second half of his fourth league start for Liverpool following a British record move from Newcastle that has failed to live up to the hype.

Read more on Barron's

While a growing number of studies consider it a safe and effective treatment, it is still relatively new and some experts warn the hype may be outpacing the science.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• advertise 
• announce 
• boost 
• broadcast 
• pitch 
• promote 
• promulgate 
• tout 
• trumpet