Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

astroturfing

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.67 in modern English

Syllables
as-tro-turf-ing
IPA
16
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
4
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The disguising of an orchestrated campaign as a "grass-roots" event, i.e., a spontaneous upwelling of public opinion.

Uncountable

verb

present participle and gerund of Astroturf

Etymology

From AstroTurf (“a synthetic substitute for grass”), a play on grass roots, as in “fake grass roots”. Attributed to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen in an unidentified 1985 public statement: "[A] fellow from Texas can tell the difference between grassroots and Astroturf."

Usage

Frequently Paired Words

astroturf astroturfer

Synonyms

front organization

Questions

What does astroturfing mean?
The disguising of an orchestrated campaign as a "grass-roots" event, i.e., a spontaneous upwelling of public opinion.
Where does astroturfing come from?
From AstroTurf (“a synthetic substitute for grass”), a play on grass roots, as in “fake grass roots”. Attributed to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen in an unidentified 1985 public statement: "[A] fellow from Texas can tell the difference between grassroots and Astroturf."

How to pronounce astroturfing

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “astroturfing”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “astroturfing”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “astroturfing” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.