moonshine

noun

moon·​shine ˈmün-ˌshīn How to pronounce moonshine (audio)
Synonyms of moonshinenext
1
: moonlight
2
: empty talk : nonsense
3
: intoxicating liquor
especially : illegally distilled corn whiskey

Synonyms of moonshine

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of moonshine in a Sentence

Everything they said was just a load of moonshine. during Prohibition, moonshine and “bathtub gin” were made secretly
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Hence the gorgeous moment when Mi-ok joins Ho-seok for a nightcap under the stars—secret moonshine—and affirms that, in the face of insurmountable problems, enduring them together is their only solution. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026 The Carnaval de Guaranda, for instance, takes inspiration from a rowdy annual fiesta held in the Bolivar Province and is made with vodka, hops, figs, white truffle, turmeric, and a local moonshine called pájaro azul. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026 Barthel laments that anti-cannabis laws encouraged growers to develop highly potent strains, just as Prohibition in the 1920s put potentially lethal moonshine into circulation. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 6 July 2026 To try some of that moonshine yourself, stop by Adventure Distilling Company for tastings and live music in the summertime. — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for moonshine

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of moonshine was in the 15th century

Rhymes for moonshine

See All Rhymes for moonshine

Browse Nearby Words

moon shell
moonshine
moonshiner
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Moonshine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moonshine. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

moonshine

noun
moon·​shine ˈmün-ˌshīn How to pronounce moonshine (audio)
1
: moonlight entry 1
2
: meaningless talk : nonsense
3
: alcoholic liquor
especially : illegally produced whiskey made from corn
moonshiner
-ˌshī-nər
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All