hokum

[ hoh-kuhm ]

noun

1. out-and-out nonsense; bunkum.
2. elements of low comedy introduced into a play, novel, etc., for the laughs they may bring.
3. sentimental matter of an elementary or stereotyped kind introduced into a play or the like.
4. false or irrelevant material introduced into a speech, essay, etc., in order to arouse interest, excitement, or amusement.

hokum

/ ˈhəʊkəm /

noun

1. claptrap; bunk
2. obvious or hackneyed material of a sentimental nature in a play, film, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of hokum¹

1915–20, Americanism; probably blend of hocus-pocus and bunkum

Word History and Origins

Origin of hokum¹

C20: probably a blend of hocus-pocus and bunkum

Example Sentences

One former Tory minister said: “We need to call out this hokum”.

From BBC

I considered joining the eclipse crowds in Carbondale, Ill., where a news report on Atlas Obscura said that old-time apocalyptic fever — also known as modern-day conspiracy theorist hokum — had taken hold.

From Los Angeles Times

He met proselytizers who told him they had personally raised people from the dead, or witnessed mass graves come back to life, which Hancock called “hooey and hokum.”

From New York Times

For all the creakily derivative supernatural hokum on display, the ghosts that haunt this movie turn out to be all too persuasively real.

From Los Angeles Times

Continued research into emergent branches of regenerative medicine is still a worthwhile pursuit despite the anti-aging hokum, particularly given the need to advance therapies around stem cells, immunomodulation and transplantation.

From Salon

Related Words

• betrayal
• deceit
• disinformation
• duplicity
• falsehood
• fraud
• hypocrisy
• lying
• mendacity
• treachery
• trickery
• untruth