humbug Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun pretentious or silly talk or writing
    taradiddle; boloney; bilgewater; tarradiddle; tosh; bosh; baloney; drool; tommyrot; twaddle.
  2. noun communication (written or spoken) intended to deceive
    snake oil.
  3. noun something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage
    fraud; hoax; fraudulence; dupery; put-on.
  4. verb trick or deceive

WordNet

Hum"bug` noun
Etymology
Prob. fr. hum to impose on, deceive + bug a frightful object.
Definitions
  1. An imposition under fair pretenses; something contrived in order to deceive and mislead; a trick by cajolery; a hoax.
  2. A spirit of deception; cajolery; trickishness.
  3. One who deceives or misleads; a deceitful or trickish fellow; an impostor. Sir J. Stephen.
Hum"bug` transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Humbugged ; present participle & verbal noun Humbugging
Definitions
  1. To deceive; to impose; to cajole; to hoax.

Webster 1913