What does "bogus" mean?
A liquor made of rum and molasses.
Bogus
/ˈboʊ.ɡəs/ adj, name, noun, slang
adj, name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A liquor made of rum and molasses.
- Grammar: bogus is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: fake, affected, apocryphal, artificial.
- Useful contrasts: actual outcome, authentic, authentic celebration.
- Usage evidence: Sami opened a bank account with a bogus Egyptian ID.
How to use "bogus"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bogus" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bogus" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bogus" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bogus" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bogus" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "fake" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bogus", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A liquor made of rum and molasses. US, dialectal, uncountable
"BOGUS. A liquor made of rum and molasses."
- 2 Counterfeit money. US, archaic, dialectal, uncountable
"“Ahem—it is the opinion of the court that the prisoner has been making bogus; so we must put him in the jug until Superior Court.[…]”"
Adjective
- 1 Counterfeit or fake; not genuine.
"He was arrested for trying to cash a bogus check at the bank."
- 2 Undesirable or harmful. slang
"What Jefferson was saying was, Hey! You know, we left this England place 'cause it was bogus; so if we don't get some cool rules ourselves - pronto - we'll just be bogus too! Get it?"
- 3 Incorrect, useless, or broken. slang
- 4 Of a totally fictitious issue printed for collectors, often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country (not to be confused with forgery, which is an illegitimate copy of a genuine stamp).
"Bogus stamps are labels made to deceive stamp collectors. Many bogus stamps were made prior to 1900 when some had names of imaginary countries."
- 5 Based on false or misleading information or unjustified assumptions.
"bogus laws"
Adjective
- 1 fraudulent; having a misleading appearance wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Sami opened a bank account with a bogus Egyptian ID."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bogus"?
Common synonyms include: fake, affected, apocryphal, artificial, artificial process, artificial system.
How do you use "bogus" in a sentence?
Sami opened a bank account with a bogus Egyptian ID.
How do you pronounce "bogus"?
Pronounced /ˈboʊ.ɡəs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
First attested as an underworld term for an apparatus for creating counterfeit coins, then the coins themselves. Later, the word was applied to anything of poor quality. The newest use to mean useless is probably from the slang of computer hackers. The origin is unknown, but there are at least two theories that try to trace its origin: * From Hausa boko (“to fake”). Since bogus first appeared in the United States, it may be possible that its ancestor was brought there on a slave ship. * From criminal slang as a short form of tantrabogus, a 19th-century slang term for a menacing object, making some believe that bogus might be linked to bogy or bogey (see bogeyman). In this sense, Bogus might be related to Bogle – a traditional trickster from the Scottish Borders, noted for achieving acts of household trickery; confusing, but not usually damaging.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Polish Bogus, Boguś, or Romanian Boguș.