noun

hooey

HOO-ee/ˈhuːi/

Nonsense or foolish talk.

The listener dismisses the flat-Earth explanation as hooey while holding a globe.

A speaker earnestly expounds a flat-Earth idea while a listener, holding a globe, dismisses the explanation as nonsense.

Etymology

Hooey is recorded as American slang meaning nonsense or foolishness from its earliest attestation. Its origin is unknown, so no earlier root image can securely explain that meaning.

In context

Technology Connections24:38

Indeed it is brighter than the other mantle. And significantly whiter. So turns out this complaint wasn't all hooey.

Pressure lamps: gaslighting on the go

More examples

Don't believe that hooey about getting rich overnight.
She dismisses his excuse as a bunch of hooey.
The article mixes useful advice with pure hooey.

Similar words

nonsense: A more neutral term for foolish or meaningless talk.
baloney: Similarly informal, often used to dismiss false claims or excuses.