HUMBUG Synonyms: 250 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'humbug' different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of humbug are counterfeit , fake , fraud , imposture , and sham . While all these words mean "a thing made to seem other than it is," humbug suggests elaborate pretense usually so flagrant as to be transparent. // creating publicity by foisting humbugs on a gullible public

Q: When would 'counterfeit' be a good substitute for 'humbug'?

Although the words counterfeit and humbug have much in common, counterfeit applies especially to the close imitation of something valuable. // 20-dollar bills that were counterfeits

Q: When might 'fake' be a better fit than 'humbug'?

The synonyms fake and humbug are sometimes interchangeable, but fake implies an imitation of or substitution for the genuine but does not necessarily imply dishonesty. // these jewels are fakes ; the real ones are in the vault

Q: When can 'fraud' be used instead of 'humbug'?

The words fraud and humbug are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fraud usually implies a deliberate perversion of the truth. // the diary was exposed as a fraud

Q: When could 'imposture' be used to replace 'humbug'?

The words imposture and humbug can be used in similar contexts, but imposture applies to any situation in which a spurious object or performance is passed off as genuine. // their claim of environmental concern is an imposture

Q: When is 'sham' a more appropriate choice than 'humbug'?

While in some cases nearly identical to humbug , sham applies to fraudulent imitation of a real thing or action. // condemned the election as a sham

humbug 1 of 2

noun

Definition of humbug next

as in hoax

an imitation that is passed off as genuine tests showed that the "old" map of America was a cleverly made humbug

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original

as in nonsense

language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense those UFO stories are a lot of humbug

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as in fraud

one who makes false claims of identity or expertise one humbug after another claimed to be the miraculously surviving daughter of the Russian czar

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humbug

2 of 2

verb

as in to fool

to cause to believe what is untrue humbugged into believing that the bones were the skeleton of a prehistoric human being

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How is the word humbug different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of humbug are counterfeit, fake, fraud, imposture, and sham. While all these words mean "a thing made to seem other than it is," humbug suggests elaborate pretense usually so flagrant as to be transparent.

creating publicity by foisting humbugs on a gullible public

When would counterfeit be a good substitute for humbug?

Although the words counterfeit and humbug have much in common, counterfeit applies especially to the close imitation of something valuable.

20-dollar bills that were counterfeits

When might fake be a better fit than humbug?

The synonyms fake and humbug are sometimes interchangeable, but fake implies an imitation of or substitution for the genuine but does not necessarily imply dishonesty.

these jewels are fakes; the real ones are in the vault

When can fraud be used instead of humbug?

The words fraud and humbug are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fraud usually implies a deliberate perversion of the truth.

the diary was exposed as a fraud

When could imposture be used to replace humbug?

The words imposture and humbug can be used in similar contexts, but imposture applies to any situation in which a spurious object or performance is passed off as genuine.

their claim of environmental concern is an imposture

When is sham a more appropriate choice than humbug?

While in some cases nearly identical to humbug, sham applies to fraudulent imitation of a real thing or action.

condemned the election as a sham