to humbug
1
8.7
- verb
- /ˈhʌmˌbʌg/
- Archaic
:
engañar
- Don't let anyone humbug you into believing their exaggerated claims.
Examples
-
What are you snickering at? - What's it gonna try and to humbug me?
-
- You humbug!
-
I do not doubt that there will always be scientific misanthropes who pronounce as humbug anything that cannot be touched, seen, or measured.
Academic text (2003) -
She tried to humbug her friends by pretending to be someone she was not.
-
He realized that the salesman was attempting to humbug him with false promises.
Synonyms
∞
2.3
To act as if something is true when it is not
40
7.2
Pretend to feel something, like surprise or interest, to trick other people
26
6.9
To pretend to be someone else to hide the truth
25
4.3
Made to look or act like the real thing for practice
11
8.3
To trick someone by pretending you want to help them
8
7.5
To trick someone so they look foolish
3
6.0
Pretend to be a person or website online to trick people
2
8.9
To pretend to be someone you are not to impress others
2
4.5
To trick people into believing something false
1
6.4
To pretend to be or feel something to trick people
1
9.5
To trick someone by using clever talk
1
9.1
Pretending to be someone else to trick people
1
9.6
To try to trick someone by saying things that are not true
To pretend to be someone else to trick people
To trick someone by lying or cheating
To cheat someone using tricks or fake deals
To trick someone as a joke
Idioms
How Deceptive
- Formal
40
6.9
270
3.9
- Archaic
1
8.7
326
3.5
87
3.9
Surface Forms
Etymology
Humbug used as a verb comes from the same idea of hum + bug, with bug as a 'ghost' or scary thing that fools you. So to humbug someone is to 'trick' or deceive them with false words or behaviour.