hogwash
5 synonyms for hogwash, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Nonsense; talk or writing that is foolish or untrue.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use hogwash
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
pure hogwash
that's hogwash
Etymology
From Middle English hoggewasch, literally "hog's wash" — kitchen slop fed to pigs. The "nonsense" meaning grew naturally from the idea of worthless swill.
Full origin of hogwash →Frequently asked questions
What does “hogwash” mean?
The word “hogwash” means nonsense; talk or writing that is foolish or untrue. In plain terms, usually just means "nonsense" or "rubbish" — the pig-feed meaning is now rare.
How do you pronounce “hogwash”?
“Hogwash” is pronounced HOG-wosh (/ˈhɔɡ.wɑʃ/ in IPA).
How do you use “hogwash” in a sentence?
Here is “hogwash” used in a sentence: “His excuse for being late was pure hogwash.”
What part of speech is “hogwash”?
“Hogwash” is a noun.
Where does the word “hogwash” come from?
The word “hogwash” comes from Middle English. From Middle English hoggewasch, literally "hog's wash" — kitchen slop fed to pigs. The "nonsense" meaning grew naturally from the idea of worthless swill.
How many meanings does “hogwash” have?
“Hogwash” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: nonsense; talk or writing that is foolish or untrue.
Related words
Derived terms of wash
pigswill from swill
pigwash
