bullshit

English

Etymology

bull +‎ shit. In use since the 1920s.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈbʊlʃɪt/

Noun

bullshit (uncountable)

  1. (literally) The faeces of a bull.
    • 2016 November 6, John Oliver, “Multilevel Marketing”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 3, episode 29, HBO:
      Oh, I get it! So it’s not a pyramid, it’s just pyramid-shaped. You know, like a Dorito, or an Angry Bird, or just a pile of bullshit.
  2. (vulgar, slang) False or exaggerated statements made to impress and deceive the listener rather than inform; nonsense.
    Don't pay any attention to him. He talks a lot of bullshit.
  3. (rhetoric) Statements that may be true but misleading nonetheless.
  4. (vulgar, slang) A card game in which the object is to bluff about cards laid down and to determine when one's opponents are bluffing; also known as "BS", "Cheat" or "I Doubt It".
    Anyone want to play a few hands of bullshit?
  5. (vulgar, slang) An object of frustration and/or disgust, often caused by a perceived deception.
    That's total bullshit! I called your office and they said you never came in!

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Adjective

bullshit (comparative more bullshit, superlative most bullshit)

  1. (vulgar, slang) Absurd, irrational, or nonsensical. Most often said of speech, information, or content.
    That's the most bullshit excuse I've ever heard.

Verb

bullshit (third-person singular simple present bullshits, present participle bullshitting, simple past and past participle bullshitted or bullshit or (rare) bullshat)

  1. (transitive, intransitive, vulgar, slang) To tell lies, exaggerate; to mislead; to deceive.
    I think you're bullshitting. Let’s just call your office and see if you even came in.
    You’re bullshitting me. I called your office and you never even came in.
    He caught my attention with irrelevant asides that didn’t quite make sense, but sounded very erudite if you didn’t think about it too much. In other words, I noticed that he was bullshitting. http://www.languagehat.com/archives/002815.php
  2. (intransitive, vulgar, slang) To have casual conversation with no real point; to shoot the breeze
    I will probably just go and bullshit with Joe for awhile.
  3. (intransitive, vulgar, slang) To come up with on the spot, to improvise poorly.
    We just went on stage and bullshitted the whole concert because we didn't know any songs.

Synonyms
  • (all senses): crap (Indian English)

Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked

Interjection

bullshit!

  1. (vulgar, slang) An expression of disbelief or doubt at what one has just heard.

Synonyms

Translations
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