pure eyewash
- noun
- UK
- Most experts agreed that the reform was pure eyewash with no real effect on the system.
Examples
-
The politician's promises turned out to be pure eyewash and were quickly forgotten.
-
Their claim of transparency was dismissed as pure eyewash by the investigators.
-
Don't believe his claims; they're pure eyewash!
-
This is pure eyewash!
-
Most experts agreed that the reform was pure eyewash with no real effect on the system.
-
The politician's promises turned out to be pure eyewash and were quickly forgotten.
-
Their claim of transparency was dismissed as pure eyewash by the investigators.
Synonyms
165
3.9
An action that makes someone believe something not true
76
6.1
A false claim or action to hide the truth
24
7.4
Actions that hide the truth by making things look better
19
8.0
A thing presented as helpful that does not work and tricks people
18
8.1
Words or actions that trick people by seeming magical
17
9.3
A trick used to cheat people, often to get their money
14
7.4
Untrue or silly talk that people should not believe
12
7.1
An action or statement that hides the real reason behind something
8
6.8
An attempt to hide bad facts to make something seem better
6
9.8
Use of clever but false arguments to trick people
3
9.6
Talk that tries to trick people with false statements
2
9.9
A trick done to cheat or fool people
1
7.2
Smooth, pleasant speech that tries to trick people
1
9.9
Dishonest actions that try to trick people
1
9.7
Dishonest words or actions that try to trick people
1
9.4
The appearance of being true when it is false
1
8.2
A statement or action that pretends to solve a problem but changes nothing
1
7.6
False or incomplete information spread on purpose to make people believe something untrue
1
7.2
A quality that makes something seem true when it is false
Antonyms
How Deceptive
607
4.0
- Informal
24
7.4
- UK
- Informal
12
5.6
- Literature
149
7.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'pure' functions as an intensifier applied to 'eyewash' (a hollow or deceptive statement), so the sense 'utterly deceptive or insubstantial talk' is directly derived from the constituents. This simple adjective+noun composition follows a common compositional pattern, making the phrase predictable for a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
Pure eyewash comes from the image of a gentle liquid used to rinse the eye — a wash that only cleans the surface and does not fix the real problem. One popular story says people began to call any show or promise that only looks good but does nothing 'eyewash', so pure eyewash means 'something meant to deceive or make things seem better than they are'.