tinfoil hat

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableinformalhumorous

   A hat made of foil, imagined as protection against mind control or spying, and used as a symbol of paranoid conspiracy beliefs.

   Grammar: Often used in compounds: a tinfoil-hat theory.

   Patterns

   • wear a tinfoil hat

   Dad joked he needed a tinfoil hat when the radio started repeating things.

   He wears a tinfoil hat in the cartoon to block the signals.

   The comedian made a tinfoil hat out of wrapping paper for the sketch.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nouninformaldisapproving

   Describing wild, unreasonable conspiracy ideas or the people who hold them.

   Grammar: Usually before a noun and often hyphenated: a tinfoil-hat theory.

   Patterns

   • tinfoil-hat theory

   Her tinfoil-hat theories about the moon landing were exhausting.

   The forum was full of tinfoil-hat types.

   It sounded like a tinfoil-hat rumor to everyone in the office.

Word forms

Common combinations

tinfoil hat brigade

The tinfoil hat brigade was out in force online.

put on a tinfoil hat

I may sound like I should put on a tinfoil hat, but the signal keeps dropping.

tinfoil-hat theory

That is a tinfoil-hat theory with no evidence.

tinfoil hat wearer

Skeptics called him a tinfoil hat wearer.

Synonyms and how they differ

conspiracy theorist

Conspiracy theorist is neutral, while tinfoil hat is mocking.

crank

Crank describes an eccentric person with odd views, without referring to conspiracies.

paranoid

Paranoid describes the feeling of being persecuted, while tinfoil hat describes the cultural image of it.

Opposites

Word family

tinfoil noun

thin shiny metal sheeting

hat noun

head covering

conspiracy noun

a secret plan by a group

paranoia noun

unreasonable suspicion

Commonly confused: tinfoil hat or tin hat?

Practice

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