baloney
|ba-lo-ney|
🇺🇸
/bəˈloʊni/
🇬🇧
/bəˈləʊni/
worthless or false talk
Etymology
'baloney' originates from English slang formed from 'bologna' (the name of the sausage, itself from the Italian city 'Bologna'), where the sausage name was used figuratively.
'bologna' (named after Bologna, Italy) entered English as the name of the sausage; in U.S. English the form 'baloney' arose as a phonetic spelling/alteration and by the early 20th century acquired the figurative slang sense 'nonsense'.
Initially it referred to the sausage 'bologna'; over time it evolved into an informal term meaning 'nonsense' or 'foolish talk' in American English.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
informal (U.S.): nonsense; foolish or untrue talk
That's baloney — he couldn't have finished that project in one day.
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Noun 2
a type of cheap cooked sausage (from bologna); luncheon meat
I had baloney and cheese on rye for lunch.
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Verb 1
informal: to deceive, to talk nonsense to someone, or to pester with false claims
He baloneyed his way through the interview with made-up stories.
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Interjection 1
used to express disbelief or to call something nonsense (equivalent to 'nonsense!' or 'ridiculous!')
Baloney! There's no way that's true.
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Last updated: 2025/11/13 19:37