Baloney is nonsense or lies, something that's obviously not true. When your friend claims they can run faster than a cheetah, you might say “that's baloney!” You're calling out their exaggeration in a light, almost playful way. The word suggests that what someone's saying is so ridiculous it doesn't deserve serious consideration.

People use baloney when they're skeptical but not furious. If a classmate makes an excuse for not having their homework that sounds completely made up, you might think “what a load of baloney” to yourself. It's milder than calling someone a liar directly; it focuses on the silly claim itself rather than attacking the person.

The word probably comes from bologna (the lunch meat), which people joked was made from mysterious ingredients. Just as you couldn't quite trust what was in bologna, you can't trust baloney when you hear it. Politicians sometimes accuse each other of “peddling baloney” when they think their opponent is making promises they can't keep or twisting facts to make themselves look good.