🇬🇧 Hoax meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

To hoax someone means to fool or trick them on purpose so they believe something that is not real, often as a joke or prank. When you hoax a person, you make up a fake story or event and act like it is true, so they are surprised when they find out it was only a trick.

We hoaxed Grandpa by telling him his chair was now voice-activated, and he spent five minutes politely asking it to move closer to the TV.

I hoaxed my friend that if you yawn with your eyes open, you unlock secret brain levels, and he now looks permanently surprised and sleepy.

We hoaxed our dog by pretending to throw the ball, and he filed a silent complaint with his disappointed eyes.

The kids hoaxed the babysitter by saying the house rule was that dessert must be eaten before vegetables, “for health reasons.”

Scientists once hoaxed the public in 1957 by broadcasting a fake story about trees growing spaghetti, proving that even grown-ups can fall for a really good noodle joke.

At dusk two boys hoax the harbor: they set a small light and cry "ship!" People hoax toward the sand, hands shading eyes. The boys hoax again with a painted gull; they hoax an old man. A mother sobs, then sees the toy and slaps one boy. The boys hoax no more; the crowd laughs, relieved and angry.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.