witch hunt

or witch-hunt

[ wich-huhnt ]

noun

1. (in historical use) the investigation, trial, and punishment of alleged practitioners of witchcraft.
2. an intensive inquiry, originally or purportedly to discover and expose dishonesty, subversion, or other wrongdoing, the scope and conclusions of which often include and bring harm to innocent persons or their reputations through reliance on hearsay or circumstantial evidence.

verb (used with object)

1. to subject to a witch hunt:

   The defendant claimed he was being witch-hunted due to his political activism.

witch-hunt

noun

1. a rigorous campaign to round up or expose dissenters on the pretext of safeguarding the welfare of the public

Derived Forms

• ˈwitch-ˌhunting, nounadjective
• ˈwitch-ˌhunter, noun

Other Words From

• witch hunter noun
• witch-hunting adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of witch hunt¹

First recorded in 1885–90 witch hunt fordef 1; in 1935–40 witch hunt fordef 2; and in 1945–50 witch hunt fordef 3; the gerund witch-hunting was first recorded in 1635–40

Example Sentences

In her mind, the entire ordeal was a witch-hunt led by the local authorities.

From The Daily Beast

Likewise, pressure must be placed on Egypt to abandon its witch hunt of the Muslim Brotherhood.

From The Daily Beast

DeLay dismissed the charges against Perry as a political witch hunt.

From The Daily Beast

Some have dismissed the charges as nothing more than a partisan witch-hunt.

From The Daily Beast

Legal proceedings are about process; so is The Witch-Hunt Narrative.

From The Daily Beast

Nor were the police and the press the only perpetrators of this modern witch hunt.

From Project Gutenberg