malarkey
Pure hot air
Malarkey is nonsense, foolishness, or insincere talk—the kind of stuff someone says when they're trying to sound convincing but aren't making any real sense.
It's an informal word, often used to dismiss something as ridiculous or untrue: Don't give me that malarkey about the dog eating your homework.
The word has a slightly old-fashioned, playful quality, sometimes appearing as malarky.
Senseless talk or writing
- poppycockFoolish or meaningless talk
- hogwashFoolish or untrue talk
- claptrapInsincere, pretentious language
- drivelSenseless, silly talk
twaddle · gibberish · blather · bunkum · codswallop · tommyrot · piffle · hokum
Rhetorical extreme exaggeration
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
- overstatementClaim beyond the facts
- pufferyOverblown self-promotion
- tall taleWildly exaggerated story
stretching · inflation · dramatization · elaboration · boasting · bragging · grandiosity · bluster
Deliberate deception for effect
- shamFraudulent imitation
- conArgument against
- scamDishonest money-making scheme
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
trickery · deceit · bamboozle · hoodwink · dupery · fakery · charlatan · imposture
Mischievous or deceitful behavior
- tomfooleryFoolish or silly behavior
- monkeyshinesFrivolous or mischievous behavior
- jiggery-pokeryDeceptive or dishonest behavior
- buffooneryLudicrous or silly conduct
whimsy · jest · kidding · ribbing · joshing · leg-pulling · spoofing · goofiness
balderdash
Senseless talk or writing
- poppycockFoolish or meaningless talk
- hogwashFoolish or untrue talk
- claptrapInsincere, pretentious language
drivel · twaddle · gibberish · blather · bunkum · codswallop · tommyrot · piffle · hokum · baloney
hyperbole
Rhetorical extreme exaggeration
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
- overstatementClaim beyond the facts
- pufferyOverblown self-promotion
tall tale · stretching · inflation · dramatization · elaboration · boasting · bragging · grandiosity · bluster · bombast
hoax
Deliberate deception for effect
fraud · trickery · deceit · bamboozle · hoodwink · dupery · fakery · charlatan · imposture · swindle
shenanigans
Mischievous or deceitful behavior
- tomfooleryFoolish or silly behavior
- monkeyshinesFrivolous or mischievous behavior
- jiggery-pokeryDeceptive or dishonest behavior
buffoonery · whimsy · jest · kidding · ribbing · joshing · leg-pulling · spoofing · goofiness · silliness
- blatherbabble, balderdash, baloney, blarney, blather
- nonsensenonsense, absurd, gibberish, gobbledegook, gobbledygook
- retro slanggroovy, far out, the bee's knees, neato, cool cat
- Whimsy Wordsgobbledygook, gibberish, mumbo jumbo, hogwash, balderdash
- Bunkbalderdash, baloney, bosh, bunk, bunkum
- old-fashioned wordsforsooth, hark, betwixt, hither, prithee
malarkeysense
Perception or judgment
substance · good sense · valid argument · sensibleness · reasonableness
malarkeywisdom
Good judgment from experience
rationality · judgment · judgement · discernment · levelheadedness