HOOEY Synonyms: 105 Similar and Opposite Words

hooey

noun

ˈhü-ē

Definition of hooey

as in nonsense

language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense stories about the inn being haunted are just a lot of hooey

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hooey But 1990's Ghost, which is barely half-good, pulls this sort of New Age hooey better. — Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly, 13 June 2026 Cinderella Man is unalloyed emotional manipulation, and while the cast all dig into the maudlin hooey — Paul Giamatti is especially good as the crusty trainer — nothing here has the spark of real life. — Will Leitch, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025 The old line about the 28 gauge having a square load is hooey. — Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, 11 Dec. 2019 Indeed, some devices are more powerful than others, and a few are just plain hooey. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019 But as comforting as a toddy may be, the notion of a dose of booze as a cold cure has always struck me as a load of hooey. — M. Carrie Allan, charlotteobserver, 23 Jan. 2018 The scene where Skerrett has a highland fling with a blond, bearded hunk is more than a wee bit full of hooey. — David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Jan. 2018 There was a whole lot of narrative hooey to explain the theme, which mostly had to do with caterpillars becoming butterflies, girls becoming women, et cetera. — Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2017 Contrary to the previous load of hooey dispensed by Junior and the first family, this dude was not a translator. — Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 18 July 2017

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooey

Noun

Anyway, Cunningham faced a ton of nonsense from the onset, mainly from the crowd.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026
No Instagram gimmicks, no fusion nonsense, just the best version of something that sounds simple but isn't.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026

Definition of nonsense

Noun

Unlike Lake Michigan, debris and garbage settle along the riverbed and near the banks, forcing divers to search through sediment and obstacles while currents continue to move beneath the surface.

— Darius Johnson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Residents are encouraged to use bear-resistant containers with lids latched, store garbage in a garage or shed until collection day, and put cans at the curb the morning of pickup rather than the night before.

— Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of garbage

Noun

Frankly, most ballet flats are a bit too blah for this look and would throw off the proportions.

— Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 23 July 2026
What used to be a forum for original, quirky, clever remarks by the Daily News’ varied community of smartypants has turned into a gridlock of repetitious venting of old, dumb blah.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 10 July 2026

Definition of blah

Noun

This comes at the expense of no movement in the wrist, but to be fair, having the lightsaber pointed in any other direction would look rubbish.

— Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Only construction waste will be accepted at the landfill such as, brush and rubbish, concrete, brick, rock, wood, paper, plastics, cardboard and roofing shingles and tiles.

— Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026

Definition of rubbish

Noun

Only in agriculture is the rule to produce as much as possible, this silliness to be redeemed if not by the market then by the government.

— Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Minions & Monsters kept its familiar chaos intact, but its turn toward sentiment may have left behind some of the pure silliness that built its core audience at home.

— David Deal, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Definition of silliness

Noun

That’s only made worse by the fact that it’s treated as some kind of grand betrayal rather than an impulsive act of youthful stupidity that will make for a good story one day.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 July 2026
Condor, Newton and Hiraga do their best to make Max’s actions believable, but her stubborn stupidity eventually requires more suspension of belief than a highly vindictive shark prowling a freshwater cave right next to the ocean.

— Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

Definition of stupidity

Browse Nearby Words

hoodwinks

hooey

hoof

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“Hooey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooey. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of hooey

noun

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