SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
humbug
noun
Deceptive or insincere talk, conduct, or pretense.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
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A useful distinction
Alternatives apply to the displayed meaning. Related wording may differ in tone or grammar and is not always interchangeable.
Deceptive or insincere talk, conduct, or pretense
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topAlternatives apply to the displayed meaning. Related wording may differ in tone or grammar and is not always interchangeable.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See humbug in use
The critic dismissed the elaborate sales pitch as humbug.
She had little patience for ceremonial humbug.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license