hoax
/həʊks/ (bre, ipa) · /həʊks/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhōks/ (ame, mw) · /hoʊks/ (ame, ipa)
hoax — noun
- hoaxsingular
- hoaxesplural
1. a false story, piece of information, or situation that someone creates deliberat
a false story, piece of information, or situation that someone creates deliberately to trick people into accepting it as real
Salma realised the story about a haunted house was a hoax after she checked online.
hoax about [topic] — common noun pattern
The radio station accidentally broadcast a hoax weather warning, scaring many people.
Femi later felt foolish for believing the hoax about free concert tickets.
What started as a harmless hoax quickly grew into a nationwide panic.
- trick
more general and often playful; a trick can be harmless or malicious
- fraud
more serious, involving crime or financial gain; stronger negative connotation
- deception
broader term for any act of making someone believe something false
- prank
lighter and playful; usually designed to cause embarrassment, not serious harm
文法句型
a + hoax
hoax + about + [topic]
常見錯誤
hoax — verb
- hoaxpresent simple I / you / we / they
- hoaxes3rd person singular
- hoaxing-ing form
- hoaxedpast simple
1. to trick someone into thinking that a false story, situation, or object is genui
to trick someone into thinking that a false story, situation, or object is genuine and true
Piotr hoaxed his classmates into thinking the school had cancelled exams.
hoax + someone + into + gerund — pattern for causing false belief
The travel blog was hoaxing visitors with fake hotel reviews.
Esteban admitted he had hoaxed his brother about finding gold in the garden.
Yuki's friends hoaxed her by sending a false email from the principal.
文法句型
hoax + someone
hoax + someone + into + verb-ing
hoax + someone + about + [topic]
用法筆記
Commonly used in the pattern 'hoax + someone + into + verb-ing' to describe making someone believe something false. The object must be a person, not a thing.