HUMBUG (humbugged, humbugging)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: humbugged    , humbugging   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does humbug mean? 

• HUMBUG (noun)
  The noun HUMBUG has 3 senses:

1. pretentious or silly talk or writing

2. communication (written or spoken) intended to deceive

3. something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage

  Familiarity information: HUMBUG used as a noun is uncommon.

• HUMBUG (verb)
  The verb HUMBUG has 1 sense:

1. trick or deceive

  Familiarity information: HUMBUG used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HUMBUG (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Pretentious or silly talk or writing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

baloney; bilgewater; boloney; bosh; drool; humbug; taradiddle; tarradiddle; tommyrot; tosh; twaddle

Hypernyms ("humbug" is a kind of...):

bunk; hokum; meaninglessness; nonsense; nonsensicality (a message that seems to convey no meaning)

Domain usage:

argot; cant; jargon; lingo; patois; slang; vernacular (a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Communication (written or spoken) intended to deceive

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

humbug; snake oil

Hypernyms ("humbug" is a kind of...):

deceit; deception; misrepresentation (a misleading falsehood)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

dupery; fraud; fraudulence; hoax; humbug; put-on

Hypernyms ("humbug" is a kind of...):

chicane; chicanery; guile; shenanigan; trickery; wile (the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "humbug"):

goldbrick (anything that is supposed to be valuable but turns out to be worthless)

Derivation:

humbug (trick or deceive)

• HUMBUG (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Trick or deceive

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "humbug" is one way to...):

cozen; deceive; delude; lead on (be false to; be dishonest with)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

humbug (something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage)

 Context examples 

"You're more than that," said the Scarecrow, in a grieved tone; "you're a humbug."

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

I said, what a set of humbugs we were in general, and I showed you the scraps of the Prince's nails to prove it.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

What more do you want? The fellow is a self-confessed humbug.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

That music has taken the vanity out of me as Rome took it out of her, and I won't be a humbug any longer.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Humbug! Most things free-born will submit to anything for a salary; therefore, keep to yourself, and don't venture on generalities of which you are intensely ignorant.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

“Silver, if you like,” cried the squire; “but as for that intolerable humbug, I declare I think his conduct unmanly, unsailorly, and downright un-English.”

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

I am tired of being such a humbug.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Is that why you called him a humbug, just now? inquired Steerforth.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

This, par parenthese, will be thought cool language by persons who entertain solemn doctrines about the angelic nature of children, and the duty of those charged with their education to conceive for them an idolatrous devotion: but I am not writing to flatter parental egotism, to echo cant, or prop up humbug; I am merely telling the truth.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

"Doesn't anyone else know you're a humbug?" asked Dorothy.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)