humbuggery
Pretense and nonsense
Humbuggery is deceptive or fraudulent behavior, especially the kind that involves pretentious nonsense or empty claims.
The word carries a theatrical quality—it suggests elaborate fakery rather than simple lying: The whole enterprise was pure humbuggery.
Someone practicing humbuggery is a humbug, putting on airs or peddling something worthless as valuable.
Deliberate deception for effect
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
- bamboozleDeceive through cunning
- duperyCalculated misleading of another
- fakeryDeliberate deception or pretense
subterfuge · artifice · hoodwink · chicanery · guile · duplicity · imposture · sham
Pretense of virtue
- pretenseDeceptive outward show
- disingenuousnessPretended ignorance or naivety
- affectationArtificial behavior for effect
- posturingInsincere behavior for effect
lip service · phoniness · falseness · dissembling · two-facedness · sanctimony · cant · empty promises
Dishonest money-making scheme
- swindleDeception for financial gain
- conArgument against
- forgeryCreating fraudulent imitations
- counterfeitFraudulent imitation
bunco · grift · hustle · shakedown · racket · embezzlement · fleecing · bilk
hoax
Deliberate deception for effect
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
- bamboozleDeceive through cunning
- duperyCalculated misleading of another
fakery · subterfuge · artifice · hoodwink · chicanery · guile · duplicity · imposture · sham · feint
hypocrisy
Pretense of virtue
- pretenseDeceptive outward show
- disingenuousnessPretended ignorance or naivety
- affectationArtificial behavior for effect
posturing · lip service · phoniness · falseness · dissembling · two-facedness · sanctimony · cant · empty promises · crocodile tears
scam
Dishonest money-making scheme
counterfeit · bunco · grift · hustle · shakedown · racket · embezzlement · fleecing · bilk · cheat
balderdash
Senseless talk or writing
- claptrapInsincere, pretentious language
- hogwashFoolish or untrue talk
- poppycockFoolish or meaningless talk
rubbish · drivel · bunkum · twaddle · codswallop · malarkey · baloney · tommyrot · flapdoodle · blather
impostor
One feigning another's identity
quack · mountebank · swindler · conman · huckster · snake-oil salesman · deceiver · fraudster · trickster · schemer
humbuggerysincerity
Honest, unfeigned genuineness
honesty · authenticity · genuineness · candor · forthrightness
humbuggerywisdom
Good judgment from experience
sense · intellectual honesty · reasonableness · sensibleness · rationality
humbuggerytruth
Accordance with reality
substance · validity · soundness · legitimacy · genuineness