Synonyms for imposture
Most common
All synonyms
Noun
1. Deception — the act or conduct of an impostor; deception practiced under a false or assumed character; fraud or imposition
deception, fraud, deceit, cheat, artifice, delusion, imposition, humbug, hoax, fake, ruse, sham, cheating, trick, circumvention, wile, dodge, charlatanism, cozenage, swindle, stratagem, trickery
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
The act or conduct of an impostor; deception practiced under a false or assumed character; fraud or imposition.
Forms
- Plural
- impostures → deceptions, frauds, deceits, cheats…
Choose the right word
Imposture is a deceitful contrivance for securing charity, credit, or consideration.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- fraud Academic fraud is more common than you might think.
- deception She was aware of his propensity towards deception.
- deceit He acquired a great fortune by using deceit and treachery.
- artifice The language of truth must be, with no doubt, simple and without artifice.
- impersonation I was doing an impersonation of my boss when he showed up.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| imposture | steady | |
| fraud | rising | |
| deception | rising | |
| deceit | rising | |
| artifice | rising | |
| impersonation | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- fake1, hoax1, sham1, ruse1, wile1
- 5 letters
- trick1, fraud1, cheat1, dodge1
- 6 letters
- deceit2, humbug2
- 7 letters
- swindle2
- 8 letters
- cheating2, delusion3, trickery3, artifice3, cozenage
- 9 letters
- deception3, stratagem3
- 10 letters
- imposition4
- 12 letters
- charlatanism
- 13 letters
- impersonation5, circumvention4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (deceit2 = 2 syllables).