tin foil hats

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   Hats made of aluminum foil, often worn in the belief that they block mind control or surveillance.

   Grammar: Countable noun; usually used in the plural when talking about the objects themselves.

   Patterns

   • wear a tin foil hat
   • make a tin foil hat

   He made tin foil hats for everyone at the party as a joke.

   In the movie, the character wears a tin foil hat to block alien signals.

   They laughed at the tin foil hats on the protesters' heads.

2. 2nouncountableinformalfigurative

   Used figuratively to describe people who believe in conspiracy theories.

   Grammar: Often used in phrases like 'put on your tin foil hat' or 'tin foil hat brigade.'

   Patterns

   • put on a tin foil hat
   • tin foil hat theory

   Some people put on their tin foil hats when they hear about new technology.

   That sounds like a tin foil hat theory to me.

   Don't go full tin foil hat on me; just check the facts.

Word forms

Common combinations

wear a tin foil hat

He wears a tin foil hat to protect himself from radio waves.

tin foil hat theory

That's just another tin foil hat theory.

put on your tin foil hat

Put on your tin foil hat; we're going to talk about conspiracy theories.

tin foil hat brigade

The tin foil hat brigade was out in force at the rally.

Synonyms and how they differ

conspiracy theorist

A person who believes in conspiracies; 'tin foil hat' is a more mocking, visual term.

Word family

tin foil noun

Thin, shiny metal foil made of aluminum, used for wrapping food.

Commonly confused: tin foil hats or aluminum foil?

Practice

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