debunk

de·bunk  (d-bngk)

tr.v. de·bunked, de·bunk·ing, de·bunks

To expose or ridicule the falseness, sham, or exaggerated claims of: debunk a supposed miracle drug.

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de·bunker n.

Word History: One can readily see that debunk is constructed from the prefix de-, meaning "to remove," and the word bunk. But what is the origin of the word bunk, denoting the nonsense that is to be removed? Bunk came from a place where much bunk has originated, the United States Congress. During the 16th Congress (1819-1821) Felix Walker, a representative from western North Carolina whose district included Buncombe County, carried on with a dull speech in the face of protests by his colleagues. Walker later explained he had felt obligated "to make a speech for Buncombe." Such a masterful symbol for empty talk could not be ignored by the speakers of the language, and Buncombe, spelled Bunkum in its first recorded appearance in 1828 and later shortened to bunk, became synonymous with claptrap. The response to all this bunk seems to have been delayed, for debunk is not recorded until 1923.

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debunk [diːˈbʌŋk]

vb

(tr) Informal to expose the pretensions or falseness of, esp by ridicule

[from de- + bunk²]

debunker  n

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

debunk - expose while ridiculing; especially of pretentious or false claims and ideas; "The physicist debunked the psychic's claims" expose blackguard, guy, jest at, laugh at, make fun, poke fun, ridicule, roast, rib - subject to laughter or ridicule; "The satirists ridiculed the plans for a new opera house"; "The students poked fun at the inexperienced teacher"; "His former students roasted the professor at his 60th birthday" uncloak, unmask - reveal the true nature of; "The journal article unmasked the corrupt politician"

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debunk

verb (Informal) expose, show up, mock, ridicule, puncture, deflate, disparage, lampoon, cut down to size The men of the enlightenment who debunked the church and the crown.

Translations

debunk [ˈdiːˈbʌŋk] VT [+ theory, claim, person, institution] → desacreditar

debunk [diːˈbʌŋk] vt [+ theory, claim] → discréditer; [+ myth] → briser; [+ ideology] → démythifier

debunk

vt claim → entlarven; myth → aufdecken; politician → vom Sockel stoßen

debunk [ˌdiːˈbʌŋk] vt (theory) → demistificare; (claim) → smentire; (person, institution) → screditare

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debunk [ˌdiːˈbʌŋk] vt (theory) → demistificare; (claim) → smentire; (person, institution) → screditare