hoax

UK: /ˈhəʊks/ US: /hoʊks/ ,(hōks)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

hoax /hoʊks/   n. [countable]

1. something intended to deceive:
   Was the bomb threat real or just another hoax?

v. [~ + object]

2. to deceive by a hoax.

hoax•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

hoax  (hōks), n. 

1. something intended to deceive or defraud:
   The Piltdown man was a scientific hoax.

v.t. 

2. to deceive by a hoax;
   hoodwink.

• perh. contraction of hocus 1790–1800

hoax′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. deception, fraud, fake, imposture, humbug.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hoax / həʊks/ noun

1. a deception, esp a practical joke

verb

1. (transitive) to deceive or play a joke on (someone)

Etymology: 18th Century: probably from hocus

ˈhoaxer noun