What does bullshit mean?
Bullshit is a vulgar slang term for nonsense — language that is insincere, exaggerated, or deliberately misleading rather than simply mistaken. It functions chiefly as an uncountable noun ("that's total bullshit") but also as a verb meaning to bluff or talk one's way through something without regard for truth ("he was just bullshitting"). Coined in the United States in the early twentieth century from "bull," an older colloquialism for nonsense, it has become one of English's most expressive words for empty or deceptive discourse. Philosopher Harry Frankfurt famously distinguished the bullshitter from the liar: the liar knows the truth and conceals it, while the bullshitter doesn't care whether his statements are true at all. Though crude, the word is remarkably precise, and phrases like "calling bullshit" reflect its role as a blunt instrument against spin, hype, and pretension.
Vulgar slang: nonsense; something spoken or written that is false, exaggerated, or intended to mislead; also, anything regarded as stupid, annoying, or unfair.
"I've heard enough of this bullshit — give me the facts."
Uncountable in most uses; strongly vulgar.
Vulgar slang: to speak insincerely or attempt to impress or deceive someone through boastful or fabricated talk.
"Don't try to bullshit your way through the interview — they'll see right through it."
Regular conjugation; often used in the progressive (bullshitting) and with "one's way" constructions.
Bullshit is normally uncountable and has no plural; any plural sense would be nonstandard.
"That speech was ninety percent bullshit."
Princeton philosopher Harry Frankfurt wrote an entire best-selling book, On Bullshit, arguing that the bullshitter is worse than a liar — because the liar at least knows what the truth is.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bullshit
Bullshit is an American formation combining "bull," a long-established colloquial term for nonsense or exaggeration (itself of uncertain origin), with the vulgar suffix "-shit." It emerged in US usage in the early twentieth century, with printed attestations from around the 1910s–1930s, and spread widely during World War II before entering mainstream informal speech. It shares its root with related American coinages such as "bull session" (an idle, rambling discussion) and "bull artist" (a habitual bluffer).
How bullshit is actually used
Strongly vulgar and informal; inappropriate in polite conversation, professional writing, and most formal contexts, though common in casual speech and increasingly tolerated in journalism when quoting others. The verb takes regular inflection (bullshits, bullshitted/bullshit).
Easily confused with bullshit
"Bull" is an older euphemistic shortening meaning nonsense, while "bullshit" is the fuller vulgar form of the same idea.