phony

Noun · Adjective
US[foh-nee]/ˈfoʊni/2 syllables
Synonyms: hypocritedissemblerdissimulatorphoneypretenderbogusfakebastard

Open English WordNet

Adjective (1)phonier, phoniest

  1. fraudulent; having a misleading appearanceSynonyms: bogusfakephoneybastardOpposite echtSimilar counterfeit, imitative

Noun (1)phonies

  1. a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motivesSynonyms: hypocritedissemblerdissimulatorphoneypretenderType of deceiver, cheatKinds smoothie, whited sepulcher, Tartuffe

Related words imposter noun, phoney adjective

Word of the day · Nov 6About this word
punctiliousadjective

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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

pho′ny (fō′nē), adjective [Also spelled phoney.] [Compar. phonier; superlative phoniest.]

1. imitating something superior; intended to deceive; fraudulent; having a misleading appearance; not genuine; counterfeit; fake; as, a phony diamond; a phony hundred-dollar bill. Syn. — phoney, bogus, counterfeit, fake.

2. Pretending to be other than one is; putting on false appearances; insincere; hypocritical; — of people.

pho′ny (fō′nē), noun

Something or someone that is phony. [Also spelled phoney.]

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54 · with additions: GCIDE editors

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