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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rationality
• reasonableness
• sense
• common sense
• sensibleness
• horse sense
• reasonability
• judgment
• wisdom
• levelheadedness
• judgement
• 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
• pretender
• charlatan
• quack
• phoney
• imposter
• deceiver
• mountebank
• misleader
• faker
• impostor
• phony
• fakir
• counterfeiter
• actor
• hoaxer
• ringer
• operator
• quacksalver
• sharper
• dissembler
• copycat
• trickster
• swindler
• imitator
• poseur
• impersonator
• skinner
• duper
• mimic
• dodger
• bluffer
• scammer
• defrauder
• fraudster
• sharpy
• scamster
• feigner
• sharpie
• cozener

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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
• gull
• bluff
• hoodwink
• bamboozle
• suck in
• misinform
• misguide
• buffalo
• cozen
• hornswoggle
• cheat
• beguile
• gaff
• spoof
• gammon
• string along
• sting
• juggle
• have on
• burn
• take in
• snooker
• do a number on
• fake out
• have
• lead one up the garden path
• catch
• lead one down the garden path
• pull one's leg
• swindle
• pull the wool over one's eyes
• flimflam
• put on
• fleece
• defraud
• stick
• hustle
• 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
• jazz
• bunk
• falderal
• muck
• craziness
• foolishness
• hokum
• trumpery
• claptrap
• twaddle
• insanity
• balderdash
• trash
• piffle
• bunkum
• beans
• boloney
• flapdoodle
• humbug
• baloney
• buncombe
• hogwash
• malarky
• blah-blah
• madness
• guff
• fudge
• poppycock
• blatherskite
• folderol
• punk
• bilge
• tommyrot
• rot
• hooey
• blither
• tosh
• tarradiddle
• absurdity
• bosh
• fiddle
• crock
• fiddlesticks
• malarkey
• bull
• drivel
• blather
• codswallop
• folly
• taradiddle
• blarney
• crapola
• fiddle-faddle
• absurdness
• hoodoo
• hokeypokey
• applesauce
• horsefeathers
• moonshine
• flannel
• senselessness
• idiocy
• nerts
• slush
• foolery
• kookiness
• inanity
• tomfoolery
• imbecility
• asininity
• fatuity
• lunacy
• gas
• witlessness
• greek
• rigamarole
• rigmarole
• 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
• judgment
• wisdom
• judgement
• levelheadedness
• discernment

Examples of humbug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Mean One features David Howard Thornton, known for playing Art the Clown in the Terrifier movies, as a familiar-looking green-skinned humbug in a Santa suit, living on a mountain high above the small town town of Newville. —Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 July 2023

His bah-humbug to Halloween was in keeping with that tough line. —Nicole Winfield, Star Tribune, 17 Oct. 2020

Verb