bunkum

noun

bun·​kum ˈbəŋ-kəm How to pronounce bunkum (audio)
variants or buncombe
: insincere or foolish talk : nonsense

Did you know?

Some words in the English language have more colorful histories than others. In the case of bunkum, you could almost say it was an act of Congress that brought the word into being. Back in 1820, Felix Walker, who represented North Carolina's Buncombe County in the U.S. House of Representatives, was determined that his voice be heard on his constituents' behalf, even though the matter up for debate was irrelevant to Walker's district and he had little of substance to contribute. To the exasperation of his colleagues, Walker insisted on delivering a long and wearisome "speech for Buncombe." His persistent—if insignificant—harangue made buncombe (later respelled bunkum) a synonym for meaningless political claptrap and came later to refer to any kind of nonsense.

Examples of bunkum in a Sentence

What a load of bunkum! a cinematic depiction of the Middle Ages that was derided as pure bunkum by historians
Recent Examples on the Web Nevertheless, anti-vaccine bunkum has clearly metastasized to our furry companions. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 30 Aug. 2023 And in the ultimate exemplification of how an endless stream of content begets pernicious bunkum, John McPhail’s Dear David is arguably the most brainless release of the year. Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 5 Dec. 2023 Brightly lit and filled to their Botox gills with aspirational bunkum, the shows require little by way of mental engagement. Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2023 Behind the image was a fair bit of bunkum. James Gleick, The New York Review of Books, 13 Apr. 2021 The Telegraph's article immediately drew sharp responses from other journalists, who dismissed the report as bunkum. Smriti Rao, Discover Magazine, 15 Mar. 2010 Unfortunately, but somewhat predictably, the press has fallen for Bukele’s bunkum hook, line, and sinker. Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 18 Sep. 2021 Reich makes $300,000 a year teaching anti-capitalist bunkum to impressionable young minds — on top of at least $40,000 per hour giving speeches around the country. David Harsanyi, National Review, 5 May 2021 But like many others on the right, Peterson is ultimately motivated by an inability to let bunkum prevail unchallenged. Kyle Smith, National Review, 30 Oct. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bunkum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Buncombe county, North Carolina; from a remark made by its congressman, who defended an irrelevant speech by claiming that he was speaking to Buncombe

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bunkum was in 1838

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Dictionary Entries Near bunkum

Cite this Entry

“Bunkum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bunkum. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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