ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bullshit

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced US //ˈbʊɫˌʃɪt// UK //bˈʊlʃɪt// bull·shit Slang Vulgar

n. nonsense or lies. You use this word when you think someone is being dishonest or talking about things they do not understand. It is a very rude word, so be careful who you say it to.

n. nonsense, lies, or insincere talk intended to deceive or impress. In a philosophical context, it refers specifically to speech delivered with a complete lack of concern for the truth, rather than a deliberate attempt to subvert it.


SIMPLE

I don't believe a word he says; it is all bullshit.

CONTEXTUAL

The politician's speech was full of the usual bullshit designed to distract voters from the real economic issues.

COMPLEX

Harry Frankfurt famously argued that the essence of bullshit is not falsity but phoniness, where the speaker is indifferent to how things really are as long as they achieve their personal goals.

Synonyms
Origin

From bull + shit. Figurative use as a noun referring to useless or untrue information is attested from the 1910s.

Usage

Highly informal and vulgar; restricted to casual or very heated contexts. In academic philosophy, it is used as a technical term for speech indifferent to truth.

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