This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn more

Phony synonyms

Sorting by
Votes
affected
Behaving in an artificial way to impress people; full of affectation
0
0
  1. Behaving in an artificial way to impress people; full of affectation
  2. Assumed for effect; artificial
  3. Assumed or simulated to impress others:
imitation
Made to resemble something specified, usually something superior or genuine; not real; sham; bogus
0
0
  1. Made to resemble something specified, usually something superior or genuine; not real; sham; bogus
  2. Made to resemble another, usually superior material:
artificial
Not arising from natural or necessary causes; contrived or arbitrary:
0
0
  1. Not arising from natural or necessary causes; contrived or arbitrary:
  2. Affected or insincere:
  3. Made by humans, especially in imitation of something natural:
fake
One that is not authentic or genuine; a sham.
0
0
  1. One that is not authentic or genuine; a sham.
  2. Anything or anyone not genuine; fraud; counterfeit
  3. (Sports) A brief feint or aborted change of direction intended to mislead one's opponent or the opposing team.
forgery
A false banknote, document, work of art, or other imitation of a thing of value, created to be passed off as real; the act of creating such an object. A false banknote, document, work of art, or other imitation of a thing of value, created to be passed off as real; the act of creating such an object.
0
0
  1. A false banknote, document, work of art, or other imitation of a thing of value, created to be passed off as real; the act of creating such an object. A false banknote, document, work of art, or other imitation of a thing of value, created to be passed off as real; the act of creating such an object.
  2. Something that has been forged, especially a document that has been copied or remade to look like the original.
  3. The act of forging something, especially the unlawful act of counterfeiting a document or object for the purposes of fraud or deception.
fraud
Something said or done to deceive; trick; artifice
0
0
  1. Something said or done to deceive; trick; artifice
  2. A person who deceives or who is not what he or she pretends to be; impostor; cheat
  3. (--- Law) Intentional deception to cause a person to give up property or some lawful right
quack
The sound made by a duck, or any sound like it
0
0
  1. The sound made by a duck, or any sound like it
  2. A fraudulent healer or incompetent professional, especially a doctor of medicine; an impostor who claims to have qualifications to practice medicine.
  3. Any person who pretends to have knowledge or skill in a particular field; charlatan
charlatan
A malicious trickster; a fake person, especially one who deceives for personal profit.
0
0
  1. A malicious trickster; a fake person, especially one who deceives for personal profit.
  2. A person who makes elaborate, fraudulent, and often voluble claims to skill or knowledge; a quack or fraud.
bogus
Counterfeit or fake; not genuine:
0
0
  1. Counterfeit or fake; not genuine:
  2. (Slang) Not conforming with what one would hope to be the case; disappointing or unfair:
  3. Not genuine; spurious
counterfeit
Made in imitation of something genuine so as to deceive or defraud; forged
0
0
  1. Made in imitation of something genuine so as to deceive or defraud; forged
  2. Made in imitation of what is genuine with the intent to defraud:
  3. False, especially of money; intended to deceive or carry appearance of being genuine.
fake
Artificial; not real; specif., made of synthetic fibers, to resemble animal fur
0
0
  1. Artificial; not real; specif., made of synthetic fibers, to resemble animal fur
  2. Having a false or misleading appearance; fraudulent.
  3. Fraudulent; not genuine; sham; false
false
Resembling but not accurately or properly designated as such:
0
0
  1. Resembling but not accurately or properly designated as such:
  2. Intentionally deceptive:
  3. Not genuine or real:
fraudulent
Acting with fraud; deceitful
0
0
  1. Acting with fraud; deceitful
  2. Done or obtained by fraud
  3. Characterized by, constituting, or gained by fraud:
sham
Not genuine; fake:
0
0
  1. Not genuine; fake:
  2. Not genuine or real; false, counterfeit, pretended, etc.
spurious
Lacking authenticity or validity in essence or origin; not genuine:
0
0
  1. Lacking authenticity or validity in essence or origin; not genuine:
  2. Not trustworthy; dubious or fallacious:
  3. Not true or genuine; false; counterfeit
supposititious
Suppositional; hypothetical
0
0
  1. Suppositional; hypothetical
  2. Hypothetical; supposed.
  3. Substituted with fraudulent intent; spurious.
affected
Behaving in an artificial way to impress people; full of affectation
0
0
  1. Behaving in an artificial way to impress people; full of affectation
  2. Assumed for effect; artificial
  3. Assumed or simulated to impress others:
artificial
Not arising from natural or necessary causes; contrived or arbitrary:
0
0
  1. Not arising from natural or necessary causes; contrived or arbitrary:
  2. Affected or insincere:
  3. Made by humans, especially in imitation of something natural:
feigned
Not real; pretended:
0
0
  1. Not real; pretended:
  2. (Now Rare) Fictitious; imagined
  3. Being a pretense, a counterfeit, or something false or fraudulent.
insincere
Habitually phony or dishonest:
0
0
  1. Habitually phony or dishonest:
  2. Not sincere; not genuine:
  3. Not sincere; deceptive or hypocritical; not to be trusted
pretended
Not genuine or sincere; feigned:
0
0
  1. Not genuine or sincere; feigned:
  2. Reputed or alleged
  3. Not genuine; feigned
hypocritical
Characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite. [from mid-16th c.]
0
0
  1. Characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite. [from mid-16th c.]
  2. Characterized by hypocrisy:
  3. Being a hypocrite:
pecksniffian
Hypocritically benevolent; sanctimonious.
0
0
  1. Hypocritically benevolent; sanctimonious.
  2. Falsely moralistic; hypocritical; insincere
  3. Of or pertaining to Pecksniffery; unctuously hypocritical; sanctimonious.
pharisaic
Emphasizing or observing the letter but not the spirit of religious law; self-righteous; sanctimonious
0
0
  1. Emphasizing or observing the letter but not the spirit of religious law; self-righteous; sanctimonious
  2. Of or pertaining to the Pharisees.
  3. Of the Pharisees
sanctimonious
Self-righteous, smug, etc.
0
0
  1. Self-righteous, smug, etc.
  2. Pretending to be holy or pious; affecting sanctity
  3. Making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically pious.
two-faced
Having two faces or plane surfaces
0
0
  1. Having two faces or plane surfaces
  2. Deceitful; hypocritical
counterfeit
One who counterfeits; a counterfeiter.
0
0
  1. One who counterfeits; a counterfeiter.
  2. Something that so closely resembles something else as to mislead
  3. 1590Edmund Spenser, Faerie Queene Book III, canto VIII:
fake
Anything or anyone not genuine; fraud; counterfeit
0
0
  1. Anything or anyone not genuine; fraud; counterfeit
  2. One that is not authentic or genuine; a sham.
  3. (Sports) A brief feint or aborted change of direction intended to mislead one's opponent or the opposing team.
forgery
The act of forging something, especially the unlawful act of counterfeiting a document or object for the purposes of fraud or deception.
0
0
  1. The act of forging something, especially the unlawful act of counterfeiting a document or object for the purposes of fraud or deception.
  2. A false banknote, document, work of art, or other imitation of a thing of value, created to be passed off as real; the act of creating such an object. A false banknote, document, work of art, or other imitation of a thing of value, created to be passed off as real; the act of creating such an object.
  3. Something that has been forged, especially a document that has been copied or remade to look like the original.
sham
A person who is not what he or she pretends to be; fraud; impostor
0
0
  1. A person who is not what he or she pretends to be; fraud; impostor
  2. A counterfeit; something that is not what it seems or appears to be; a fake; a person pretending to be something or someone other than who she really is. A counterfeit; something that is not what it seems or appears to be; a fake; a person pretending to be something or someone other than who she really is. adj. Deceitful or dishonest.
  3. An imitation that is meant to deceive; counterfeit
charlatan
A malicious trickster; a fake person, especially one who deceives for personal profit.
0
0
  1. A malicious trickster; a fake person, especially one who deceives for personal profit.
  2. A person who makes elaborate, fraudulent, and often voluble claims to skill or knowledge; a quack or fraud.
fake
Anything or anyone not genuine; fraud; counterfeit
0
0
  1. Anything or anyone not genuine; fraud; counterfeit
  2. One that is not authentic or genuine; a sham.
  3. (Sports) A brief feint or aborted change of direction intended to mislead one's opponent or the opposing team.
fraud
An intentional misrepresentation uttered to cause another to rely on it to his detriment. An intentional misrepresentation uttered to cause another to rely on it to his detriment.
0
0
  1. An intentional misrepresentation uttered to cause another to rely on it to his detriment. An intentional misrepresentation uttered to cause another to rely on it to his detriment.
  2. A person who deceives or who is not what he or she pretends to be; impostor; cheat
  3. (--- Law) Intentional deception to cause a person to give up property or some lawful right
humbug
Something intended to deceive; a hoax or fraud.
0
0
  1. Something intended to deceive; a hoax or fraud.
  2. A person who claims to be other than what he or she is; an impostor.
  3. Something made or done to cheat or deceive; fraud; sham; hoax
impostor
One who engages in deception under an assumed name or identity.
0
0
  1. One who engages in deception under an assumed name or identity.
  2. A person who pretends to be someone or something that he or she is not, as to deceive or cheat others
  3. Someone who attempts to deceive by using an assumed name or identity.
mountebank
One who sells by deception; a con artist; a charlatan.
0
0
  1. One who sells by deception; a con artist; a charlatan.
  2. (Historical) A person who mounted a bench, or platform, in a public place and sold quack medicines, usually attracting an audience by tricks, stories, etc.
  3. A hawker of quack medicines who attracts customers with stories, jokes, or tricks.
pretender
A claimant to an abolished or already occupied throne.
0
0
  1. A claimant to an abolished or already occupied throne.
  2. One who sets forth a claim, especially a claimant to a throne.
  3. A person who professes beliefs and opinions that they do not hold.
quack
The sound made by a duck, or any sound like it
0
0
  1. The sound made by a duck, or any sound like it
  2. A fraudulent healer or incompetent professional, especially a doctor of medicine; an impostor who claims to have qualifications to practice medicine.
  3. Any person who pretends to have knowledge or skill in a particular field; charlatan
hypocrite
A person given to hypocrisy.
0
0
  1. A person given to hypocrisy.
  2. A person who pretends to be what he or she is not; specif., one who pretends to be pious, virtuous, etc. without really being so
pharisee
A pharisaic person
0
0
  1. A pharisaic person
  2. A member of an ancient Jewish group that carefully observed the written law but also accepted the oral, or traditional, law, believed that religious practices should be followed by everyone including high priests, etc.
  3. A member of an ancient Jewish sect that emphasized strict interpretation and observance of the Mosaic law in both its oral and written form.
tartuffe
A hypocrite, especially one who affects religious piety.
0
0
  1. A hypocrite, especially one who affects religious piety.
  2. (Person, proper) The title character, a religious hypocrite, of a satirical comedy (1664-69) by Molière
  3. A hypocrite
Find another word for phony. In this page you can discover 53 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for phony, like: affected, imitation, artificial, fake, forgery, fraud, quack, charlatan, false, fake and impostor.

Sentence Examples

  • Sure, it looks like a phony and we've got to check it out, but my money says it's a drowning.

  • The dishonest or sometimes phony methods applied to these free divinations practices do nothing to aid the legitimacy of the fortune telling arts.

  • The replica industry generates billions of dollars in the sale of non-taxed phony merchandise.

  • Reinvention for the purposes of dating is phony and it's also a hard act to keep up.

More sentences →

Words that mention phony in the Dictionary

Words near phony in the Thesaurus