hype

Everyday

1. Lots of excited advertising or talk that makes something seem better or more important than it really is. tree →
2. (verb) To make a big fuss about something to get people excited: they hyped the new game. tree →
3. (slang) Hyped or hyped up means very excited: «I'm so hyped for the holidays!» tree →
4. (slang, adjective) «Hype» can mean exciting or great: «that song is hype». tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and media lessons, hype is about adverts, trailers and social media that make a film, toy, game or trainer seem amazing. Children learn to ask whether something lives up to the hype. In slang, «hyped» is a common way to say «excited». Phrases: the hype around…, believe the hype, live up to the hype, hype up, hype man.

Examples

• There was so much hype about the new phone that people queued all night. tree →
• The film did not live up to the hype. tree →
• Don't believe the hype; read real reviews first. tree →
• The coach hyped up the team before the final. tree →
• I'm so hyped for the school trip tomorrow! tree →
• The advert hyped the toy as «the best ever». tree →
• That new song is hype! (slang) tree →
• Our media lesson showed how hype can make us want things we don't need. tree →

Note

As a noun «hype» is uncountable: «a lot of hype», not «hypes». «Hyped» (excited) is informal slang, not for formal writing. Do not confuse with «hyper» (overactive, too energetic: «the kids are hyper after cake») or «hypo» (short for low blood sugar). Hype is a kind of persuasion; being able to spot it is part of media literacy.