Synonyms for ersatz
- adjective
- noun
Most common
All synonyms
Adjective
fake, faux, inauthentic, artificial, bogus, plastic, bootleg, illegitimate, unreal, synthetic, spurious, mock, counterfeit, sham
Noun
Definitions
- adj. 1
An inauthentic or inadequate substitute or imitation.
Back then, we could only get ersatz coffee.
- n. 1
Something made in imitation; an effigy or substitute.
Forms
- Plural
- ersatzes → knock-offs, imitations, substitutes…
Example sentences
- fake Many consumer reviews of books on Amazon are fake.
- artificial You can drink the juice since it's not artificial.
- faux He committed a faux pas when he asked whether she was pregnant.
- bogus Sami opened a bank account with a bogus Egyptian ID.
- bootleg I just got some new bootleg tapes.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| ersatz | rising | |
| fake | rising | |
| artificial | falling | |
| faux | rising | |
| inauthentic | rising | |
| bogus | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- fake1, mock1, faux1, sham1
- 5 letters
- bogus2
- 6 letters
- unreal2
- 7 letters
- plastic2, bootleg2
- 8 letters
- spurious3
- 9 letters
- synthetic3, imitation4
- 10 letters
- artificial4, substitute3
- 11 letters
- counterfeit3, inauthentic
- 12 letters
- illegitimate5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (bogus2 = 2 syllables).