Meanings
plural Bunburyists
- humorousOne who partakes in Bunburying.
I may mention that I have always suspected you of being a confirmed and secret Bunburyist; and I am quite sure of it now.
1895, Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest […] , [Act I]
Origin
From Bunbury + -ist, coined by Oscar Wilde in The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) after Bunbury, the fictitious disabled friend of the character Algernon whose supposed illness is used as an excuse to avoid social engagements.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Bunburyist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bunburyist
“Bunburyist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bunburyist. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Bunburyist,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bunburyist.
Source: Bunburyist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.