Synonyms of humbug

humbug 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈhəm-ˌbəg 

1

as in hoax

an imitation that is passed off as genuine

tests showed that the "old" map of America was a cleverly made humbug

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hoax
• counterfeit
• sham
• phony
• copy
• fake
• forgery
• reproduction
• bastard
• replica
• synthetic
• swindle
• spoof
• copycat
• imposture
• knockoff
• fraud
• simulation
• dummy
• facsimile
• shoddy
• gaff
• duffer
• mock-up
• brummagem

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• original

2

as in nonsense

language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense

those UFO stories are a lot of humbug

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nonsense
• nuts
• blah
• garbage
• rubbish
• silliness
• stupidity
• drool
• humbuggery
• jazz
• absurdity
• bunk
• bunkum
• hokum
• balderdash
• twaddle
• claptrap
• piffle
• foolishness
• muck
• hogwash
• trumpery
• craziness
• poppycock
• baloney
• flapdoodle
• insanity
• guff
• fudge
• tommyrot
• tosh
• beans
• folderol
• hooey
• blatherskite
• malarkey
• rot
• madness
• absurdness
• bosh
• trash
• bilge
• blither
• crock
• fiddlesticks
• codswallop
• punk
• fiddle
• bull
• blather
• blarney
• folly
• crapola
• drivel
• taradiddle
• hokeypokey
• horsefeathers
• fiddle-faddle
• applesauce
• hoodoo
• flannel
• nerts
• moonshine
• senselessness
• idiocy
• slush
• imbecility
• foolery
• kookiness
• inanity
• tomfoolery
• lunacy
• fatuity
• asininity
• rigmarole
• gas
• witlessness
• hocus-pocus
• greek
• inaneness
• monkey business
• hot air
• double-talk
• shenanigan(s)
• monkeyshine(s)
• hoity-toity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rationality
• reasonableness
• sense
• common sense
• sensibleness
• horse sense
• reasonability
• wisdom
• judgment
• levelheadedness
• discernment

3

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fraud
• sham
• fake
• charlatan
• pretender
• quack
• mountebank
• deceiver
• misleader
• faker
• impostor
• phony
• actor
• fakir
• counterfeiter
• hoaxer
• ringer
• operator
• quacksalver
• sharper
• dissembler
• copycat
• trickster
• swindler
• imitator
• poseur
• skinner
• impersonator
• duper
• mimic
• bluffer
• dodger
• scammer
• defrauder
• fraudster
• scamster
• feigner
• sharpie
• cozener

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• master
• expert
• virtuoso
• authority
• professional
• wizard
• maestro
• whiz
• ace
• crackerjack
• past master
• adept

humbug

2 of 3

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fool
• trick
• deceive
• delude
• mislead
• hoax
• sucker
• snow
• kid
• tease
• dupe
• con
• gammon
• gull
• bluff
• hoodwink
• bamboozle
• suck in
• misinform
• misguide
• buffalo
• cozen
• hornswoggle
• cheat
• beguile
• gaff
• spoof
• string along
• sting
• juggle
• have on
• burn
• take in
• snooker
• do a number on
• fake out
• have
• catch
• lead one down the garden path
• pull one's leg
• swindle
• pull the wool over one's eyes
• flimflam
• put on
• fleece
• defraud
• hustle
• stick
• mulct
• shortchange
• euchre
• diddle
• bleed
• rook
• chisel
• skin
• squeeze

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undeceive
• reveal
• show up
• debunk
• expose
• unmask
• tell
• uncover
• disclose
• divulge
• disillusion
• disabuse
• unveil
• uncloak
• disenchant

humbuggery

3 of 3

noun (2)

as in nuts

language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense

a lot of humbuggery about a mean old witch that lives in the woods

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nonsense
• nuts
• garbage
• silliness
• stupidity
• rubbish
• blah
• drool
• absurdity
• jazz
• bunk
• craziness
• hokum
• trumpery
• claptrap
• muck
• foolishness
• insanity
• twaddle
• absurdness
• balderdash
• piffle
• bunkum
• flapdoodle
• humbug
• baloney
• hogwash
• beans
• madness
• guff
• fudge
• blatherskite
• poppycock
• trash
• folderol
• bilge
• tommyrot
• rot
• punk
• hooey
• blither
• tosh
• bosh
• crock
• fiddlesticks
• malarkey
• fiddle
• bull
• drivel
• blather
• codswallop
• folly
• taradiddle
• blarney
• crapola
• fiddle-faddle
• hoodoo
• hokeypokey
• applesauce
• horsefeathers
• moonshine
• flannel
• senselessness
• idiocy
• nerts
• slush
• foolery
• kookiness
• inanity
• tomfoolery
• imbecility
• asininity
• fatuity
• lunacy
• witlessness
• gas
• rigmarole
• greek
• hocus-pocus
• inaneness
• monkey business
• hot air
• double-talk
• shenanigan(s)
• hoity-toity
• monkeyshine(s)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rationality
• reasonableness
• sense
• common sense
• sensibleness
• reasonability
• horse sense
• wisdom
• judgment
• levelheadedness
• discernment

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of humbug

Noun

Well then, the author cannot be blamed for what might be called the worldwide humbug over the robots. —IEEE Spectrum, 16 Jan. 2024

Plump four-poster beds are covered in rich floral fabrics or set against wallpaper patterned like humbugs. —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2023

Verb

In its verb form, to be humbugged is to be deceived or be the victim of a hoax. —Elizabeth Wolfe and Douglas S. Wood, CNN, 21 Dec. 2019