hype

¹ American  

[hahyp] / haɪp /

verb (used with object)

hyped, hyping

1. to stimulate, excite, or agitate (usually followed byup ).

   She was hyped up at the thought of owning her own car.

2. to create interest in by flamboyant or dramatic methods; promote or publicize showily.

   a promoter who knows how to hype a prizefight.

3. to intensify (advertising, promotion, or publicity) by ingenious or questionable claims, methods, etc. (usually followed byup ).

4. to trick; gull.

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noun

1. exaggerated publicity; hoopla.

2. an ingenious or questionable claim, method, etc., used in advertising, promotion, or publicity to intensify the effect.

3. a swindle, deception, or trick.

hype ² American  

[hahyp] / haɪp /

noun

Slang.

1. a hypodermic needle.

2. Disparaging and Offensive. a person who is addicted to a drug, especially one who uses a hypodermic needle.

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hype ¹ British  

/ haɪp /

noun

1. a deception or racket

2. intensive or exaggerated publicity or sales promotion

   media hype

3. the person or thing so publicized

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verb

1. to market or promote (a product) using exaggerated or intensive publicity

2. to falsify or rig (something)

3. (in the pop-music business) to buy (copies of a particular record) in such quantity as to increase its ratings in the charts

hype ² British  

/ haɪp /

noun

1. a hypodermic needle or injection

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verb

1. to inject oneself with a drug

2. (tr) to stimulate artificially or excite

Other Word Forms

• hyper noun
• hyping noun

Etymology

Origin of hype¹

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30, in sense “to trick, swindle,” of uncertain origin; subsequent senses perhaps by reanalysis as a shortening of hyperbole

Origin of hype²

First recorded in 1920–25; shortening of hypodermic; hypo ¹

Example Sentences

“I was really hyped on the idea of having a weekly show where I’m kind of like shooting the s— with my friends and having real positive conversations,” says Cudi, 42.

From Los Angeles Times

Lincoln — along with Martha Kenney, a professor in the university’s Department of Women and Gender Studies — are behind the petition asking CSU to “invest in humans” and “reject Silicon Valley’s AI hype.”

From Los Angeles Times

What’s the smartest way to use artificial intelligence to lower costs and be more productive — and is the tech’s promise living up to the hype?

From MarketWatch

“Even though there’s a huge amount of interest and hype, it still has to be solving a problem for customers,” Weedbrook said of quantum computing.

From Barron's

Most parents instinctively understand this, which is why AI is being hyped as a way to give kids more socializing-at-school time.

From Salon

Related Words

• advertise
• announce
• boost
• broadcast
• pitch
• promote
• promulgate
• tout
• trumpet