Bogus means: Fake, lame, unfair. 1980s Valley / surfer slang.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
bogus
Fake, lame, unfair.
ˈboʊ.ɡəsDocumented since 1980s1980sGen XhistoricalCurrent245 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Seen in the wild
5 citations · last seen May 2026
Etymology timeline
Born ~1980 · 1 year of recorded useGen X eraSee decade cohort →
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
They say to identify potential victims. This makes no sense. Does anyone else think is bogus. Like wanting voter rolls to check for "illegals"
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BlueskyMay 2026
Overruns? Isn’t that what he’s going after Fed Chair Powell about? (bogus) it was a diff bldg 5 years ago! Made the pedo look like a bigger fool!
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BlueskyMay 2026
Gamble and Huff never got a dinner nor did they get on that bogus @nytimes.com list of supposedly great songwriters. Those so-called respected music critics don't know much.
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BlueskyMay 2026
What a bogus, random list. There are people on here who cannot sing. At. All. And great singers ranked at the bottom. My eyeroll made me lose my balance it was so extreme.
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BlueskyMay 2026
In sworn testimony, Hegseth pushed false claim about troops deployed to voting precincts The secretary didn’t just make a bogus claim about the Obama era, he also twice asserted very specific non... #Maddowblog #News…
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Definitions
#1·Apr 26, 2026
Fake, lame, unfair. 1980s Valley / surfer slang.
See it in action
“They say to identify potential victims. This makes no sense. Does anyone else think is bogus. Like wanting voter rolls to check for "illegals"”
“Gamble and Huff never got a dinner nor did they get on that bogus @nytimes.com list of supposedly great songwriters. Those so-called respected music critics don't know much.”
“What a bogus, random list. There are people on here who cannot sing. At. All. And great singers ranked at the bottom. My eyeroll made me lose my balance it was so extreme.”
"That call was totally bogus."
Origin: 1980s American teen slang, popularized by Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989).
For parents
Bogus means: Fake, lame, unfair. 1980s Valley / surfer slang.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
bogus means: Fake, lame, unfair. 1980s Valley / surfer slang.. Register: very informal, slang. Suitable only for casual conversation, chat and social media. Do not use in business, academic or news writing. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Heard in the wild
“They say to identify potential victims. This makes no sense. Does anyone else think is bogus. Like wanting voter rolls to check for "illegals"”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Overruns? Isn’t that what he’s going after Fed Chair Powell about? (bogus) it was a diff bldg 5 years ago! Made the pedo look like a bigger fool!”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Gamble and Huff never got a dinner nor did they get on that bogus @nytimes.com list of supposedly great songwriters. Those so-called respected music critics don't know much.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“What a bogus, random list. There are people on here who cannot sing. At. All. And great singers ranked at the bottom. My eyeroll made me lose my balance it was so extreme.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“In sworn testimony, Hegseth pushed false claim about troops deployed to voting precincts The secretary didn’t just make a bogus claim about the Obama era, he also twice asserted very specific non... #Maddowblog #News #Politics Origin | Interest | Match”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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#6·May 2, 2026
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).
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Show 5 more dictionary-style senses (imported)
#2·May 2, 2026
A liquor made of rum and molasses.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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#3·May 2, 2026
Incorrect, useless, or broken.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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#4·May 2, 2026
Counterfeit or fake; not genuine.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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#5·May 2, 2026
Based on false or misleading information or unjustified assumptions.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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