The meaning of Phoney

adjective

Made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally, especially as a copy of something natural.

Usage examples:

Her skin glowed in the artificial light

adjective

Made by people, often as a copy of something natural

Usage examples:

Artificial flowers, artificial grass, an artificial leg, an artificial smile, the actors were encou…

adjective

Not sincere

Usage examples:

Their cheerfulness seemed rather strained and artificial.

verb

To try to trick someone into believing something, esp. in order to get an advantage over that person

Usage examples:

[ i ] the landlord claimed to have the right to raise his rent, but we believed he was bluffing and…

adjective

Not genuine or true (used in a disapproving manner when deception has been attempted).

Usage examples:

A bogus insurance claim

noun

A person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill.

Usage examples:

A self-confessed con artist and charlatan

noun

A person who pretends to have skills or knowledge that the person does not actually have

verb

Act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage.

Usage examples:

She always cheats at cards

noun

A person who behaves dishonestly in order to gain an advantage.

Usage examples:

Athletes who abide by the rules are up against cheats with a distinct advantage.

verb

To act in a way that is dishonest, or to make someone believe something that is not true in order to get something for yourself

Usage examples:

[ t ] the insurance companies were found to be cheating consumers., [ t ] they got cheated out of t…

noun

The feeling or belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something.

Usage examples:

We had every confidence in the staff

noun

A feeling of having little doubt about yourself and your abilities, or a feeling of trust in someone or something

Usage examples:

He has a sense of confidence, even arrogance, about what he does., consumers’ confidence in the eco…

noun

A feeling that you can trust someone or something to work well or behave as you expect

Usage examples:

The index fell 3.1% as investors lost confidence in bank shares., have confidence in sb/sth "i have…

adjective

Made in exact imitation of something valuable with the intention to deceive or defraud.

Usage examples:

Counterfeit £10 notes

noun

A fraudulent imitation of something else.

Usage examples:

He knew the tapes to be counterfeits

verb

Imitate fraudulently.

Usage examples:

My signature is extremely hard to counterfeit

adjective

(of a product) made or used as a substitute, typically an inferior one, for something else.

Usage examples:

Ersatz coffee

adjective

Used instead of something else, usually because the other thing is too expensive or rare

Usage examples:

I'm allowed to eat ersatz chocolate made from carob beans, but it's a poor substitute for the real …

adjective

Not genuine; imitation or counterfeit.

Usage examples:

She got on the plane with a fake passport

noun

A thing that is not genuine; a forgery or sham.

Usage examples:

Fakes of old masters

verb

Forge or counterfeit (something).

Usage examples:

She faked her spouse's signature

adjective

Not according with truth or fact; incorrect.

Usage examples:

He was feeding false information to his customers

adjective

(of things) not real, but made to look real, or (of information) not true but made to seem true in order to deceive

Usage examples:

Haban used false identification to enter france., the company presented clients with documents cont…

adjective

Not true or correct

Usage examples:

It is an offense to give false information on your application form., the wanted man is known to be…

adjective

Simulated or pretended; insincere.

Usage examples:

Her eyes widened with feigned shock

verb

Pretend to be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury).

Usage examples:

She feigned nervousness

verb

Past simple and past participle of feign

Usage examples:

You know how everyone feigns surprise when you tell them how old you are., the prosecution claimed …

adjective

Copied fraudulently; fake.

Usage examples:

They have illegally entered the uk using forged travel documents

verb

Make or shape (a metal object) by heating it in a fire or furnace and hammering it.

Usage examples:

He forged a great suit of black armour

verb

Move forward gradually or steadily.

Usage examples:

He forged through the crowded streets

noun

Wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.

Usage examples:

He was convicted of fraud

noun

The crime of obtaining money or property by deceiving people

Usage examples:

Convicted of tax fraud, he was sentenced to two years in prison., he says he’s been everywhere and …

noun

The crime of getting money by tricking or deceiving people, or a crime of this type

Usage examples:

Serious/massive fraud we only investigate when there are sufficient grounds for believing serious f…

noun

A person who gets money by deceiving people

Usage examples:

Fraudsters are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to obtain people's personal details.

adjective

Obtained, done by, or involving deception, especially criminal deception.

Usage examples:

Fraudulent share dealing

adjective

Not what it claims or pretends to be

Usage examples:

Fraudulent advertising, there’s been a rise in fraudulent insurance claims.

adjective

Intended to deceive someone, for example, to get money

Usage examples:

They thought i might try to collect insurance on a fraudulent claim., for a charge of fraudulent tr…

noun

A person who tricks or deceives someone by means of a hoax.

Usage examples:

The hoaxer claimed her mother was trapped in a burning flat

noun

A person who carries out a trick or plan to deceive people, such as telling the police there is a bomb somewhere when there is not

Usage examples:

If a hoaxer sends a pizza to the wrong address, little damage is done., a bomb hoaxer brought chaos…

noun

The action of using someone or something as a model.

Usage examples:

A child learns to speak by imitation

noun

Something copied, or the act of copying

Usage examples:

Freya does a pretty good imitation of her science teacher., [ c ] imitation leather

noun

A person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others, especially for fraudulent gain.

Usage examples:

The charity has warned anyone approached by the impostor to contact police immediately

noun

A person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others

adjective

Produced or developed by humans rather than coming directly from nature

Usage examples:

Man-made fibers

adjective

Made by people, rather than existing naturally

Usage examples:

Man-made fibres

adjective

Produced on a large scale using machinery.

Usage examples:

Manufactured consumer goods

verb

Make (something) on a large scale using machinery.

Usage examples:

Firms who manufacture ball bearings

verb

Past simple and past participle of manufacture

Usage examples:

He works for a company that manufactures car parts., the report notes a rapid decline in manufactur…

verb

Tease or laugh at in a scornful or contemptuous manner.

Usage examples:

Opposition mps mocked the government's decision

adjective

Not authentic or real, but without the intention to deceive.

Usage examples:

A mock-georgian red brick house

noun

Make a replica or imitation of something.

noun

A person who deceives others, especially in order to trick them out of their money; a charlatan.

Usage examples:

He has been described as a ‘a mountebank, a charlatan and a scribbler’ by one author, although othe…

noun

A person who claims or aspires to a title or position.

Usage examples:

The pretender to the throne

noun

A person who states they have a right to the high position that someone else has, although other people disagree with this

Usage examples:

The rebel forces are led by the pretender to the throne (= the person who wants to replace the pres…

adjective

Not genuine; spurious or sham.

Usage examples:

We are talking about real journalists and not the pseudo kind

noun

A pretentious or insincere person.

Usage examples:

The arty chat of a campus pseudo

combining form

Supposed or purporting to be but not really so; false; not genuine.

Usage examples:

Pseudonym

noun

The characteristic harsh sound made by a duck.

Usage examples:

I heard a quack and saw some ducks huddled together

verb

(of a duck) make a quack.

Usage examples:

Ducks quacked from the lake

noun

A person who dishonestly claims to have special knowledge and skill in some field, typically medicine.

Usage examples:

A quack doctor

noun

The action or process of copying something.

Usage examples:

The cost of colour reproduction in publication is high

noun

The act or process of producing new life

noun

A copy of something, especially a work of art or a piece of furniture

Usage examples:

The museum sells cheap reproductions of some of its key artefacts., allow plenty of time for the ph…

noun

A dishonest or unprincipled man.

Usage examples:

You are a rogue and an embezzler

verb

Remove inferior or defective plants or seedlings from (a crop).

Usage examples:

The sowing has to be rogued to remove aberrant seedlings

noun

A person, organization, or country that does not behave in the usual or acceptable way

Usage examples:

Buzzy’s a fun-loving teenage rogue., a rogue employee might tap into the computer.

noun

A dishonest or unscrupulous person; a rogue.

Usage examples:

That scoundrel sets a bad example for the other young men

noun

A thing that is not what it is purported to be.

Usage examples:

Our current free health service is a sham

adjective

Bogus; false.

Usage examples:

A clergyman who arranged a sham marriage

verb

Short for pillow sham.

adjective

Manufactured in imitation of some other material.

Usage examples:

A simulated leather handbag

verb

Imitate the appearance or character of.

Usage examples:

Red ochre intended to simulate blood

adjective

Made to look like something else; artificial

Usage examples:

Simulated leather

adjective

Named or called in a particular way

Usage examples:

Married taxpayers are hit hard by the so-called marriage penalty., these so-called experts don’t kn…

adjective

Not being what it purports to be; false or fake.

Usage examples:

Separating authentic and spurious claims

noun

A person who uses deception to deprive someone of money or possessions.

Usage examples:

He used his charm to become a small-time swindler

noun

Someone who gets money dishonestly by deceiving or cheating people

Usage examples:

The man was a swindler.

adjective

(of a substance) made by chemical synthesis, especially to imitate a natural product.

Usage examples:

Synthetic rubber

noun

A synthetic material or chemical, especially a textile fibre.

Usage examples:

Twentieth century technology has opened up a treasure of textures and materials from space age synt…

adjective

Of or relating to products made from artificial substances, often copying a natural product

Usage examples:

Synthetic sweeteners, a synthetic fiber