malarkey

Examples

• All

• "The premise that midsize firms have some specific set of problems is just a bunch of malarkey, in my opinion," he says.

  Academic text (2003)

• You see, grown-ups tell people they love books, but it's a bunch of malarkey.

  Blog text (22)

• What kind of malarkey is this?

  Holes (2003)

• All this malarkey about how magical the two of them are together.

  Fiction book (1994)

• All this environmental malarkey was accomplishing exactly nothing.

  Fiction book (1994)

• Don't give me that malarkey.

  Green Fire (1954)

• The malarkey and the rants are all very amusing on this side of the pond!

  Blog text (9)

• I can't believe you fell for that malarkey about the moon landing being fake.

• His story about winning the lottery turned out to be complete malarkey.

• The politician was criticized for making malarkey claims that lacked any evidence.

Synonyms

N

nonsense

vsmalarkey

578 2.5

Words or ideas that do not make sense

includes that meaning but often implies insincere or exaggerated talk

R

rhetoric

vsmalarkey

265 7.0

Words that sound impressive but have little real meaning

shares the emptiness but is often plainer and less formal

B

baloney

vsmalarkey

• Informal

48 7.5

Talk that is not true or is silly

is similar but often carries a more playful or slangy feel

W

wind

vsmalarkey

• UK

24 8.6

Empty showy talk with little real meaning

adds a sense of deliberate bragging or show beyond mere bluster

B

bunk

vsmalarkey

• Informal

22 6.7

Nonsense talk that is not true

matches that falsity but focuses more on insincere presentation

M

mumbo jumbo

vsmalarkey

• Informal

21 8.3

Confusing talk that hides the truth or tries to impress people

covers that obscuring but is less about ritual or mystery

J

jazz

vsmalarkey

• Informal

19 7.6

Insincere empty talk meant to impress or distract

overlaps but is less musical and more bluntly deceptive or silly

H

hot air

vsmalarkey

• Informal

17 5.3

Talk that sounds important but has no real meaning

means that too but stresses playful or dismissive insult tone

H

hooey

vsmalarkey

• Informal

15 9.9

Silly talk that is not true

expresses the same dismissive idea but with added insincerity

P

poppycock

vsmalarkey

• Informal

10 9.9

Silly talk that is not true

covers that absurdity but also points to theatrical exaggeration

G

gobbledygook

vsmalarkey

• Informal

9 9.9

Confusing speech or writing full of technical words that most people cannot understand

is broader, covering simple insincere or exaggerated talk too

S

sophistry

vsmalarkey

7 9.8

Use of clever but false arguments to trick people

is broader, not always intentionally argumentative or logically false

B

balderdash

vsmalarkey

• Informal

3 8.9

Silly talk or ideas that are not true

is similar but often implies exaggerated or insincere performance

E

empty words

vsmalarkey

3 5.1

Talk that has no real meaning and is not useful

adds a sense of insincerity or overstatement beyond mere emptiness

B

bunkum

vsmalarkey

1 9.9

Talk that is false and meant to fool or impress people

shares the emptiness but is more informal and blunt in tone

I

idle talk

vsmalarkey

1 5.8

Casual talk about small, unimportant things, often gossip

stresses lack of purpose but also includes insincerity or exaggeration

S

stuff and nonsense

vsmalarkey

• Informal

1 6.6

Silly talk that is not true or useful

is the same dismissal but can feel slightly more casual

F

flimflam

vsmalarkey

• Archaic

1 9.6

Talk that tries to trick people with false statements

is similar but can be simply silly rather than deliberately fraudulent

E

empty talk

vsmalarkey

1 4.3

Words that sound important but have no real meaning or action

stresses this emptiness but also insincerity or exaggeration in tone

N

nothing but nonsense

vsmalarkey

• Informal

1 6.0

Things people say that are completely untrue or pointless

keeps that total rejection but also highlights showy or insincere tone

A

argle-bargle

vsmalarkey

• Archaic

1 9.9

Loud, silly talk that has no useful meaning

is similar but focuses more on insincere or exaggerated content

I

idle words

vsmalarkey

1 8.0

Words that people say but do not mean

is similar but often implies a louder, showy exaggeration

T

trumpery

vsmalarkey

• Archaic

1 9.9

Worthless or silly talk that has no useful ideas

is comparable but more commonly used for objects or ideas too

S

schmegegge

vsmalarkey

• Informal

1 9.9

Talk that is false and not worth listening to

matches that dismissal but often sounds less childish or comic

A

all bulldung

vsmalarkey

• Australian

9.9

Talk that is false and makes no sense

conveys that rejection but often with an ironic or older tone

B

boloney

vsmalarkey

• Informal

8.8

Talk that is silly and not true

is similar but tends to stress playful or exaggerated dishonesty

How Absurd

hogwash

• Informal

16 7.4

baloney

• Informal

48 7.5

malarkey

• Informal

13 8.8

nonsense

578 2.5

rubbish

• UK

49 2.5

Surface Forms

Etymology