Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

hook, line and sinker en · ADV

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • (US) audio
  • /ˌhʊk ˌlaɪn ən(d)ˈsɪŋkə(ɹ)/

Etymology

From all the parts of a fishing tackle that may be lost to a fish. Appeared in 1838 as a metaphor from angling.

Meanings

  1. Completely; (of a belief or acceptance) naively or unquestioningly.
    • In a lengthy post on his social media website, Truth Social, Trump accused his voters on Wednesday of falling for what he called a “radical left” hoax by the opposition to discredit him. “Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bullshit,’ hook, line, and sinker.” 2025 July 17, Oliver Holmes, “Trump calls Epstein conspiracy a ‘hoax’ and turns on Maga ‘weaklings’”, in The Guardian:
    • I told him you were just a friend, and he fell for it hook, line and sinker.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
rod, line and sinker alternative lexicographic

Relateds

eat something up with a spoon · lock, stock and barrel

Synonyms

completely

Translations (26)

hu mindenestül ((idiomatic) completely) · is gína við einhverju ((idiomatic) completely) · ru со все́ми потроха́ми ((idiomatic) completely) · nb med søkke og snøre ((idiomatic) completely) · es con moño y todo ((idiomatic) completely) · es de pe a pa ((idiomatic) completely) · is gleypa söguna hráa ((idiomatic) completely) · is trúa einhverju eins og nýju neti ((idiomatic) completely) · es de cabo a rabo ((idiomatic) completely) · es de principio a fin ((idiomatic) completely) · es como pescadito ((idiomatic) completely) · fi niellä nahkoineen karvoineen ((idiomatic) completely) · hu csont nélkül ((idiomatic) completely) · hu egy az egyben ((idiomatic) completely) · de mit Haut und Haaren ((idiomatic) completely) · pl całkowicie ((idiomatic) completely) · hu szőröstül-bőröstül ((idiomatic) completely) · pl bez zastrzeżeń ((idiomatic) completely) · da helt og holdent ((idiomatic) completely) · hu úgy, ahogy van ((idiomatic) completely) · is kokgleypa eitthvað ((idiomatic) completely) · de ganz und gar ((idiomatic) completely) · hu szó nélkül ((idiomatic) completely) · hu kompletten ((idiomatic) completely) · da med hud og hår ((idiomatic) completely) · sv med hull och hår ((idiomatic) completely)