Humbug

Pronunciation: /ˈhʌmˌbʌɡ/

Definitions of humbug

noun something designed to deceive or mislead

Example Sentences

A1 I don't like when people try to sell me humbug.

A2 The children knew the man dressed as Santa was a humbug.

B1 The politician's promises turned out to be nothing but humbug.

B2 The company's advertising campaign was seen as humbug by many consumers.

C1 The author's writing was filled with clever wit and biting humbug.

C2 The debate was filled with accusations of humbug and deceit.

Examples of humbug in a Sentence

formal The politician called the accusations against him a humbug and denied any wrongdoing.

informal I can't stand all this humbug about the new diet trend, just eat healthy and exercise.

slang Stop being such a humbug and just go to the party with us.

figurative His claims of being broke were just a humbug to avoid paying his debts.

Grammatical Forms of humbug

• past tense: humbugged
• plural: humbugs
• comparative: more humbug
• superlative: most humbug
• present tense: humbugs
• future tense: will humbug
• perfect tense: have humbugged
• continuous tense: is humbugging
• singular: humbug
• positive degree: humbug
• infinitive: to humbug
• gerund: humbugging
• participle: humbugged

Origin and Evolution of humbug

First Known Use: 1751 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The word 'humbug' originated from the term 'hamburg,' which referred to a type of sweetmeat made from sugar and flour. Over time, it came to be associated with deceit or trickery.

Evolution of the word: Initially used to describe a type of confectionery, 'humbug' evolved to signify deception or fraud, particularly in the context of hypocritical or false statements.