What does bullshitting mean?
Bullshitting is a vulgar, informal noun referring to talk that is insincere, exaggerated, or essentially meaningless — speech produced to impress, deceive, deflect, or simply fill silence rather than to communicate truth. It can describe deliberate deception (a salesperson inventing credentials on the spot) as well as more harmless idle chatter among friends. Philosophers have taken it seriously: Princeton's Harry Frankfurt argued in his influential essay 'On Bullshit' that the defining feature of bullshit is indifference to truth itself — unlike the liar, the bullshitter doesn't care whether what he says is true or false. The word derives from 'bullshit', which emerged in American slang in the early twentieth century, likely echoing older uses of 'bull' meaning empty or boastful talk. Because of its obscenity, bullshitting is unsuited to formal contexts, but it remains one of the most vivid and widely understood terms in everyday English for talk that is all surface and no substance.
nounThe act of talking in a way that is deliberately insincere, exaggerated, or nonsensical, typically intended to impress, deceive, or fill time rather than convey truth.
- Deliberately insincere, exaggerated, or evasive talk intended to impress, deceive, or avoid substance.
- Idle, casual chatting without any serious purpose (milder, informal sense).
"Half the presentation was just bullshitting to cover up the fact that the numbers didn't add up."
"He spent ten minutes bullshitting about his connections before anyone asked a direct question."
"We sat around bullshitting until well past midnight, talking about nothing in particular."
Princeton philosopher Harry Frankfurt wrote an entire bestselling book, 'On Bullshit,' arguing that the bullshitter is worse than the liar — because the liar at least cares about the truth.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bullshitting
Bullshitting is the gerund form of 'bullshit', a vulgarism that appeared in American English in the early twentieth century, though related uses of 'bull' for pompous or deceitful talk go back further — the expression 'bull session' (informal discussion) dates from around that era. The ultimate origin of the 'bull' element is uncertain; some scholars connect it to older terms like 'bull' (a absurdity or jest) attested centuries earlier, while others note possible French cognates such as 'bolosse'. The word spread widely during the twentieth century, cemented by Harry Frankfurt's 1986 essay 'On Bullshit', which gave the concept lasting philosophical currency.
Related word forms
How bullshitting is actually used
Strongly vulgar and informal; inappropriate in formal writing, professional settings, or polite company. The milder sense of casual chatting is common among friends but still carries a vulgar flavor. Widely used in both British and American English, with no significant regional difference in meaning.
Easily confused with bullshitting
Bollocking is a British term for a severe reprimand or scolding, whereas bullshitting refers to insincere or deceptive talk.