Claptrap
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈklæpˌtɹæp/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Claptrap is a noun meaning Empty verbiage or nonsense.
Meaning
Empty verbiage or nonsense.
More Meanings
- A device or trick to gain applause; a humbug.
- (historical) A device for producing a clapping sound in theaters.
Example Sentences
There had been a suggestion that the child should be with her [while she answers the door], but the mother herself had rejected this. "It would be stagey," she had said, "and clap-trap. There is nothing I hate so much as that."
Klein diagnoses impressively what hasn’t worked. No more claptrap about fracked gas as a bridge to renewables. Enough already of the international summit meetings that produce sirocco-quality hot air, and nonbinding agreements that bind us all to more emissions.
Word Forms
- claptraps
- clap trap
- clap-trap
Synonyms for claptrap
Depending on context, synonyms include palaver, waffle, absurdity, applesauce, bafflegab, balderdash.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include blah, rant, bombast, fustian, nonsense, rot.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.