hocus-pocus
18
8.1
- noun
- /ˈhoʊkəsˈpoʊkəs/
- They dismissed the magician's tricks as mere hocus-pocus meant to confuse the audience.
- it's just hocus-pocus
- sounds like hocus-pocus
- little hocus-pocus
Examples
-
I wanted no more hocus-pocus.
Fiction book (1990) -
There is no hocus pocus going on here.
Blog text (31) -
Well, because this is all just a bunch of hocus-pocus.
-
You really believe in this hocus-pocus?
-
Well, it was all a great hocus-pocus.
-
All the hocus-pocus has got me curious.
Fiction book (1992) -
Can you quit with the hocus pocus already?
-
Now, no hocus-pocus and chanting and carrying on.
-
You don't scare me with that hocus-pocus, boy.
-
Of course you have to keep believing in the hocus pocus.
Blog text (31)
Synonyms
290
4.8
An impression made to influence people or create a certain look
274
2.3
A clever act that looks like magic and entertains people
60
7.7
A clever trick to deceive someone
59
4.2
A magic trick that makes something look impossible
44
2.7
A performance that looks impossible and surprises people
26
4.9
To use dishonest ways to cheat people
24
7.4
Actions that hide the truth by making things look better
15
8.6
Secret or dishonest actions that try to cheat people
10
8.1
A clever trick that deceives people or hides the truth
4
8.7
A clever, hidden way to persuade someone by making them think or feel differently
4
7.5
A false act or story that tries to trick people, often to make them laugh
4
6.3
An invented story or plan made to trick people
3
9.6
Talk that tries to trick people with false statements
3
9.9
Secret dishonest actions that trick people to get money or power
2
4.3
A trick that makes something look like real magic
2
9.9
A trick done to cheat or fool people
1
9.8
Secret dishonest actions to get an unfair advantage
1
4.9
A magic trick that seems to break natural rules to surprise and amuse people
1
5.7
Making facts or numbers seem better than they are
1
9.9
Dishonest actions that try to trick people
1
9.9
A trick that looks like real magic and amazes people
A dishonest change of facts or numbers to hide the truth
Words or actions that try to trick people into thinking things are better than they are
Antonyms
How Deceptive
Surface Forms
Etymology
Hocus-pocus began as playful nonsense that sounds like a small magic 'spell'. One popular story says it copied the Latin phrase hoc est ('this is') often said in church, so it sounded like secret words, and that's why hocus-pocus now means showy tricks or nonsense used to fool people.