Synonyms for fake
- adjective
- noun
- verb
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Phony
phony informal US, phoney UK, bogus, false, counterfeit, pseudo, sham, artificial, faux, fraudulent, fictitious, unreal, falsified, ersatz, spurious, bad, fabricated, mock, feigned, synthetic, forged, simulated, illegitimate
Other
plastic, concocted, ad-lib, fauxthentic slang
Noun
1. Fraud
fraud, imposter, cheat, swindle, pretender, imposture, delusion, humbug, role player, mountebank, pseud, shammer rare
2. Feint — A move meant to deceive an opposing player, used for gaining advantage for example when dribbling an opponent
Verb
1. Manipulate
Other
phony up, forge, affect, adulterate formal dated
Definitions
- adj. 1
Not real; false, fraudulent.
Which fur coat looks fake?
- n. 1
A move meant to deceive an opposing player, used for gaining advantage for example when dribbling an opponent.
- n. 2
Something which is not genuine, or is presented fraudulently.
I suspect this passport is a fake.
- v. 1
To make a false display of, to affect, to feign, to simulate.
The pitcher faked a throw to first base.
From weakest to strongest
From the opposite of fake, on the left, to its strongest synonyms, on the right.
Example sentences
- pseudo "Rest your features" is pseudo-polite for "Shut up."
- sham This sham election is a disgrace to democracy.
- bogus Sami opened a bank account with a bogus Egyptian ID.
- counterfeit Lots of things other than money can be counterfeit.
- plastic Paper, glass and plastic are recyclable materials.
- concocted I concocted an excuse for missing the party.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| fake | rising | |
| pseudo | steady | |
| sham | steady | |
| bogus | rising | |
| counterfeit | rising | |
| plastic | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- bad1
- 4 letters
- copy2, cook1, bull1, pose1, mock1, sham1, faux1, juke1, deke
- 5 letters
- stage1, false1, fraud1, cheat1, forge1, phony2, bogus2, fudge1, feint1, pseud
- 6 letters
- affect2, forged1, pseudo2, unreal2, phoney2, humbug2, ersatz2, wangle2
- 7 letters
- plastic2, forgery3, swindle2, feigned1, falsify3, shammer
- 8 letters
- bullshit2, delusion3, spurious3, imposter3, postiche
- 9 letters
- synthetic3, simulated4, falsified3, concocted3, pretender3, imposture
- 10 letters
- artificial4, manipulate4, fraudulent3, fabricated4, fictitious3, mountebank, adulterate4
- 11 letters
- counterfeit3, fauxthentic
- 12 letters
- illegitimate5, misrepresent4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (copy2 = 2 syllables).