humbug
humbug — noun
- humbugsingular
- humbugsplural
1. Language, behaviour, or ideas that are deliberately dishonest and meant to trick
Language, behaviour, or ideas that are deliberately dishonest and meant to trick or fool people.
Mei-Lin saw through the politician's humbug and refused to believe his promises.
see through + humbug — recognising deception
The advertisement was full of humbug about the health benefits of the sugary drink.
full of humbug — describing dishonest content
Local journalists exposed the company's humbug about cleaning up the river.
Kwame dismissed the offer as humbug designed to swindle elderly homeowners.
Theo warned his friend not to fall for the door-to-door salesman's humbug.
文法句型
humbug + about + topic
full of humbug
see through + humbug
用法筆記
Frequently appears in political or commercial contexts where someone is accused of saying one thing while doing another. Often paired with 'utter', 'complete', or 'sheer' as intensifiers.
常見錯誤
2. A firm, boiled sweet with a strong peppermint taste and two coloured stripes on
A firm, boiled sweet with a strong peppermint taste and two coloured stripes on the outside.
At the corner sweet shop, Amira picked two striped humbugs from the glass jar for herself and her little brother.
a humbug — countable singular
Every Sunday after church, Grandpa reached into his coat pocket and offered the children a handful of peppermint humbugs.
handful of humbugs
The old sweet shop sold humbugs wrapped in twisted wax paper.
Omar sucked on a humbug to freshen his breath after lunch.
- boiled sweet
general category; not necessarily mint-flavoured or striped
- peppermint
refers to flavour, not the specific striped appearance
文法句型
a humbug
humbugs
用法筆記
Primarily British English. In the United States this candy is usually called a 'peppermint swirl' or simply a 'hard mint candy'.
常見錯誤
3. A person who claims to hold strong moral principles but whose actions reveal a l
A person who claims to hold strong moral principles but whose actions reveal a lack of genuine honesty.
The charity director was a humbug who pocketed donations meant for homeless families.
Sofia called her boss a humbug after he preached honesty but lied to clients.
called someone a humbug
The local newspaper exposed the mayor as a humbug who preached honest government while secretly taking bribes from construction companies.
The green committee director proved a humbug, pocketing money from the logging he condemned.
- saint
informal; person of genuine moral character
文法句型
a humbug
described as a humbug
用法筆記
This sense overlaps with 'hypocrite' but carries an older, more theatrical flavour. In modern English it is less common than 'hypocrite' and often used with a touch of humour or literary style.
常見錯誤
4. A critical exclamation directed at someone who spoils a festive or cheerful occa
A critical exclamation directed at someone who spoils a festive or cheerful occasion by complaining, famously associated with Charles Dickens' character Ebenezer Scrooge.
"Bah! Humbug!" grumbled Mr. Finch when his wife turned on the Christmas songs.
Bah! Humbug! — full exclamation from Dickens
Every year Uncle Diego shouts "Humbug!" before refusing to join the holiday party.
The old man muttered "Humbug!" as children sang carols outside his window.
When asked about the office party, Santi replied with a firm "Humbug!"
- "Rubbish!"
less literary, used in British English to dismiss something as worthless
- "Nonsense!"
general dismissal without the festive connotation
文法句型
Bah! Humbug!
shout/mutter 'Humbug!'
用法筆記
This sense is directly tied to Scrooge's catchphrase in 'A Christmas Carol' (1843). Outside of the Christmas context, it can be used humorously to express grumpy rejection of any cheerful event.
常見錯誤
5. Silly, empty, or pretentious speech or writing that lacks real meaning or value.
Silly, empty, or pretentious speech or writing that lacks real meaning or value.
The celebrity fitness magazine was complete humbug — every page promised fast weight loss without a single scientific study behind it.
complete humbug — intensifier collocation
Amara refused to read any more of the pretentious humbug in that fashion blog.
The biology professor dismissed the theory as romantic humbug with no scientific basis.
In the talk show interview, the actor's claims about her miracle skincare range were utter humbug with no medical proof.
文法句型
utter humbug
pretentious humbug
complete humbug
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (DECEPTIVE TALK): sense 5 describes content that is silly or valueless but not necessarily intended to deceive. A writer may sincerely produce humbug without meaning to trick anyone.
常見錯誤
humbug — verb
- humbugpresent simple I / you / we / they
- humbugs3rd person singular
- humbuging-ing form
- humbugedpast simple
1. To deliberately mislead or cheat someone using dishonest words or actions, often
To deliberately mislead or cheat someone using dishonest words or actions, often to gain money or an advantage.
The salesman tried to humbug the elderly couple into buying a worthless insurance policy.
humbug someone into doing something
Vikram felt ashamed after the fraudster humbugged him out of his life savings.
humbug someone out of something
Linh realised too late that an impostor had humbugged her with fake documents.
Nobody could humbug old Mrs. Yamamoto — she saw through every trick.
文法句型
humbug + someone + into + doing something
humbug + someone + out of + something
用法筆記
This verb is relatively rare in modern English and sounds literary or old-fashioned. 'Swindle' and 'con' are far more common alternatives in everyday speech. The verb is often used in narrative or humorous contexts.
常見錯誤
2. To keep asking someone for money or a favour until they agree, in a way that fee
To keep asking someone for money or a favour until they agree, in a way that feels pushy or unfair.
The children humbugged their father for coins to buy ice cream.
Santi humbugged his uncle for weeks until he finally received the loan.
humbug someone for something
The exhausted street vendor humbugged every tourist for a few coins to buy himself a meal.
The little boy humbugged his mother all morning for a toy from the shop window.
文法句型
humbug + someone + for + something
用法筆記
This is an old-fashioned and very rare sense, limited almost entirely to British English. 'Pester', 'badger', or 'nag' are far more common in modern usage. The sense may be misunderstood by American readers.