Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Humbug
Hum′bugˊ
,Noun.
[Prob. fr.
hum
to impose on, deceive + bug
a frightful object.] 1.
An imposition under fair pretenses; something contrived in order to deceive and mislead; a trick by cajolery; a hoax.
2.
A spirit of deception; cajolery; trickishness.
3.
One who deceives or misleads; a deceitful or trickish fellow; an impostor.
Sir J. Stephen.
Hum′bugˊ
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Humbugged
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Humbugging
.] To deceive; to impose; to cajole; to hoax.
Webster 1828 Edition
Humbug
HUM'BUG
,Noun.
Definition 2024
Humbug
humbug
humbug
See also: Humbug
English
A variety of mint humbugs (sense 5)
Noun
humbug (plural humbugs)
- (slang) A hoax, jest, or prank.
- (slang) A fraud or sham.
- (slang) Nonsense.
- (slang) A fraudster, cheat, or hypocrite.
- 1903, George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act III:
- He means that he has sold out to the parliamentary humbugs and the bourgeoisie. Compromise! that is his faith.
- 1903, George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act III:
- (Britain) A type of hard sweet (candy), usually peppermint flavoured with a striped pattern.
- (US slang) Anything complicated, offensive, troublesome, unpleasant or worrying; a misunderstanding, especially if trivial.
- (US, African American Vernacular, slang) A fight.
- (US, African American Vernacular, slang, dated) A gang.
- (US, crime, slang) A false arrest on trumped-up charges.
Descendants
- German: Humbug
Translations
hoax, prank or jest
fraud or sham
fraudster or cheat
Interjection
humbug
- (slang) Nonsense!
- 1843, Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, stave 1,
- ‘A Merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!’ cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge’s nephew, who came upon him so quickly that this was the first intimation he had of his approach.
- ‘Bah!’ said Scrooge, ‘Humbug!’
- 1843, Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, stave 1,
Verb
humbug (third-person singular simple present humbugs, present participle humbugging, simple past and past participle humbugged)
- (slang) To play a trick on someone, to cheat, to swindle, to deceive.
- (US, African American Vernacular, slang) To fight; to act tough.
- (slang, obsolete) To waste time talking.
Derived terms
Usage notes
The spellings humbuging and humbuged exist, but are not nearly so common as humbugging and humbugged.
References
- humbug in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- J[ohn] A. Simpson and E[dward] S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ISBN 978-0-19-861186-8.
- humbug in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
Hungarian
Etymology
From English.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈhumbuɡ]
- Hyphenation: hum‧bug
Noun
humbug (plural humbugok)
Declension
| Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony) | ||
|---|---|---|
| singular | plural | |
| nominative | humbug | humbugok |
| accusative | humbugot | humbugokat |
| dative | humbugnak | humbugoknak |
| instrumental | humbuggal | humbugokkal |
| causal-final | humbugért | humbugokért |
| translative | humbuggá | humbugokká |
| terminative | humbugig | humbugokig |
| essive-formal | humbugként | humbugokként |
| essive-modal | — | — |
| inessive | humbugban | humbugokban |
| superessive | humbugon | humbugokon |
| adessive | humbugnál | humbugoknál |
| illative | humbugba | humbugokba |
| sublative | humbugra | humbugokra |
| allative | humbughoz | humbugokhoz |
| elative | humbugból | humbugokból |
| delative | humbugról | humbugokról |
| ablative | humbugtól | humbugoktól |
| Possessive forms of humbug | ||
|---|---|---|
| possessor | single possession | multiple possessions |
| 1st person sing. | humbugom | humbugjaim |
| 2nd person sing. | humbugod | humbugjaid |
| 3rd person sing. | humbugja | humbugjai |
| 1st person plural | humbugunk | humbugjaink |
| 2nd person plural | humbugotok | humbugjaitok |
| 3rd person plural | humbugjuk | humbugjaik |
Interjection
humbug