false
Americanadjective
-
not true or correct; erroneous.
a false statement.
-
uttering or declaring what is untrue.
a false witness.
- Synonyms:
- mendacious, lying, untruthful
-
not faithful or loyal; treacherous.
a false friend.
- Synonyms:
- traitorous, perfidious, inconstant, unfaithful, disloyal, disingenuous, hypocritical, insincere
-
tending to deceive or mislead; deceptive.
a false impression.
- Synonyms:
- fallacious, misleading
-
not genuine; counterfeit.
- Synonyms:
- artificial, bogus, spurious, artificial
-
based on mistaken, erroneous, or inconsistent impressions, ideas, or facts.
false pride.
-
used as a substitute or supplement, especially temporarily.
false supports for a bridge.
-
Biology. having a superficial resemblance to something that properly bears the name.
the false acacia.
-
not properly, accurately, or honestly made, done, or adjusted.
a false balance.
-
inaccurate in pitch, as a musical note.
adverb
idioms
adjective
-
not in accordance with the truth or facts
-
irregular or invalid
a false start
-
untruthful or lying
a false account
-
not genuine, real, or natural; artificial; fake
false eyelashes
-
being or intended to be misleading or deceptive
a false rumour
-
disloyal or treacherous
a false friend
-
based on mistaken or irrelevant ideas or facts
false pride
a false argument
-
(prenominal) (esp of plants) superficially resembling the species specified
false hellebore
-
serving to supplement or replace, often temporarily
a false keel
-
music
-
(of a note, interval, etc) out of tune
-
(of the interval of a perfect fourth or fifth) decreased by a semitone
-
(of a cadence) interrupted or imperfect
-
adverb
Related Words
False, sham, counterfeit agree in referring to something that is not genuine. False is used mainly of imitations of concrete objects; it sometimes implies an intent to deceive: false teeth; false hair. Sham is rarely used of concrete objects and usually has the suggestion of intent to deceive: sham title; sham tears. Counterfeit always has the implication of cheating; it is used particularly of spurious imitation of coins, paper money, etc.
Other Word Forms
- falsely adverb
- falseness noun
- half-false adjective
- quasi-false adjective
- quasi-falsely adverb
Etymology
Origin of false
First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English fals, from Latin falsus “feigned, false,” originally past participle of fallere “to deceive”; reinforced by or reborrowed from Anglo-French, Old French fals (feminine false ), from Latin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But his advocacy has made him the target of false accusations, he said.
From Los Angeles Times
On occasion, clips of them confronting federal agents have spread on social media, but many of the tips they chase are false alarms.
From Barron's
Raven has solid football shoulders, big-knuckled hands, perfectly straight black hair, and false eyelashes.
From Literature
In an interview with The Times on Tuesday, Vorhis called Hale’s claims false and derogatory.
From Los Angeles Times
Both killings have drawn international attention and condemnation over the government's egregiously false accounts of what happened, intensifying public concern about the conduct and oversight of federal immigration operations.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
