Phony

Quick meaning: Phony is an adjective meaning (informal) Fraudulent; fake; having a misleading appearance.

Meaning

(informal) Fraudulent; fake; having a misleading appearance.

More Meanings

1. (informal) A person who assumes an identity or quality other than their own.
2. (informal) A person who professes beliefs or opinions that they do not hold.
3. (informal) Anything fraudulent or fake.
4. (informal) To fake.

Example Sentences

He's such a phony, he doesn't believe half of what he says.

A good jeweler should be able to tell a real stone from a phony one.

He claims to be a doctor, but he's nothing but a fast-talking phony.

One name was a phony, but the other was the true name. The clerk remembered the man who had filed the tags since he acquired two sets of plates with different names.

Word Forms

• phonier
• phoniest
• phoney
• phonies
• phonying
• phonied

Synonyms for phony

Depending on context, synonyms include bogus, counterfeit, fake, faker, dissembler, pretender.

Antonyms for phony

Common opposites include authentic, genuine.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include phoney, fake, bogus, counterfeit, dissembler, hypocrite.

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