bogus
gb/bˈoʊɡəs/ us/bˈoʊɡəs/
B2
English
~ 9700
hamis, alaptalan, valótlan, gáz
B2
1
hamis
B1
Usage pattern:
[something] is bogus / bogus [noun]
He was arrested for trying to enter the country with a bogus passport.
Letartóztatták, mert hamis útlevéllel próbált belépni az országba.
The police warned people about a bogus charity collecting donations door to door.
A rendőrség figyelmeztette az embereket, hogy egy házról házra járó áljótékonysági szervezet adományokat gyűjt.
She clicked on a link to a bogus banking website and almost entered her password.
Investigators discovered that the invoices were from a completely bogus company.
Scammers sent out bogus emails pretending to be from the tax office.
Learner examples
The watch looked expensive, but it was bogus.
Az óra drágának tűnt, de hamis volt.
He gave the hotel a bogus name and address.
Hamis nevet és címet adott meg a szállodának.
They set up a bogus company to steal people’s money.
I got a text from a bogus bank account.
The ID card was bogus, so the guard did not let him in.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "bogus" for people instead of what belongs to them, for example saying "He is bogus" when they mean his story or ID is bogus. It is more natural to say "His story is bogus" or "His ID is bogus." Another issue is using "bogus" in very formal writing, where words like "fraudulent" or "invalid" are usually preferred.
Meaning
fake or not genuine
Collocations
bogus claim
|bogus document
|bogus passport
|bogus account
|bogus identity
|bogus website
Synonyms
fake (Very common and general; used for almost any thing that is not real or not genuine.)
|
counterfeit (More formal and technical; mainly used for money, documents, tickets, or branded goods.)
Antonyms
genuine (Stresses that something really is what it appears or claims to be.)
|
authentic (Suggests something is real and original, not copied or faked.)
Themes
law
|daily life
|crime
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not real; made to look true or official, but it is not.
Describes something that is counterfeit, forged, or not what it claims to be, especially documents, organizations, or identities.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
bogus [argument/reason/explanation/figure]
The article was full of bogus statistics designed to scare readers.
A cikk tele volt az olvasók megijesztésére szánt hamis statisztikákkal.
He tried to defend himself with a completely bogus argument.
Egy teljesen alaptalan érvvel próbálta megvédeni magát.
The company issued a statement rejecting the report as bogus and misleading.
Her boss saw through her bogus explanation for being late.
The judge dismissed the case, calling the evidence "bogus" and unreliable.
Learner examples
The story he told us was bogus.
A történet, amit mesélt nekünk, valótlan volt.
They used bogus numbers to make the problem look bigger.
Hamis számokat használtak, hogy nagyobbnak tüntessék fel a problémát.
She gave a bogus reason for missing the test.
Many people believed the bogus report on social media.
The scientist said the new theory was bogus.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with the idea of something being "strange" or "unclear." "Bogus" always means false or not correct, not just confusing. It is more emotional and informal than neutral words like "incorrect" or "inaccurate."
Meaning
false or invalid information
Collocations
bogus argument
|bogus statistics
|bogus explanation
|bogus theory
|bogus report
Synonyms
false (Neutral and common; simply states that something is not true.)
|
spurious (More formal; often used for arguments or claims that seem true but are actually false or weak.)
Antonyms
valid (Used for arguments, reasons, or points that are logically or legally acceptable.)
|
sound (Describes arguments or reasons that are not only valid but also based on good evidence.)
Themes
communication
|education
|law
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not true or correct; based on bad or wrong information.
Describes information, arguments, explanations, or reasons that are false, misleading, or based on incorrect facts.
B2
INFORMAL
3
gáz
B1
Usage pattern:
[something] is bogus
I have to work this weekend because my coworker called in sick, and I think that’s pretty bogus.
Ezen a hétvégén dolgoznom kell, mert a kollégám beteget jelentett, és szerintem ez elég gáz.
They raised the rent again this year, which a lot of people feel is totally bogus.
Idén megint emelték a lakbért, amit sokan teljesen gáznak tartanak.
It’s bogus that the tickets sold out before regular fans could buy any.
The new return policy is bogus and makes it really hard to get your money back.
Making us pay extra fees at the last minute was completely bogus.
Learner examples
I studied all night, so this low grade feels bogus.
Egész éjjel tanultam, úgyhogy ez a rossz jegy nagyon gáz.
It’s bogus that only managers get free parking.
Gáz, hogy csak a vezetők kapnak ingyen parkolást.
We waited for two hours, and that was really bogus.
The new rules are bogus, and everyone is angry.
That’s bogus! We bought tickets, but the show was canceled.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "bogus" always means "fake." In this informal use, it often means "unfair" or "very bad" and does not always suggest that something is not real. It also sounds casual, so it should be avoided in formal writing.
Meaning
unfair, wrong, or very bad
Collocations
that's bogus
|pretty bogus
|really bogus
Synonyms
lame (Informal; similar emotional tone, often used for weak or disappointing things.)
|
crummy (Informal; focuses more on poor quality than unfairness.)
Antonyms
awesome (Informal; expresses strong approval or excitement, the opposite feeling of calling something bogus.)
|
fair (Focuses on justice and reasonable treatment, the opposite of calling something unfair or bogus.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Informal: very bad or not fair, in a way that makes you annoyed.
Used informally to describe a situation, decision, or thing that feels unfair, disappointing, or of very poor quality.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bogus
IPA
GB/bˈoʊɡəs/
US/bˈoʊɡəs/
Syllables & stress
bogus (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (bogus)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: bogus
Word family
Negative and opposite forms
genuine
adjective B1
Expressions
that's bogus
1/ðˈæts bˈoʊɡəs/
fixed phrase
informal
saying something is unfair or bad
An informal way to say that something is not fair, not right, or very bad.
Examples
- "They canceled the trip without giving us a refund." "That’s bogus."
- That’s bogus! We followed all the rules and still got disqualified.
- If they make you pay twice for the same thing, you should tell them that’s bogus.