ersatz
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of ersatz
1870–75; < German Ersatz a substitute (derivative of ersetzen to replace)
Explanation
The ersatz version of something is an inferior substitute or imitation. You might speak in an ersatz French accent, but you won't fool the Parisian who runs the local French bakery. Used as a noun or adjective, ersatz stems from the German verb ersetzen, which means "to replace." Compared with regular Coke, Diet Coke may be considered an ersatz beverage because of its artificial sweeteners. Similarly, rich, creamy, full-fat ice cream is much better than the ersatz, fat-free version, or frozen yogurt. You would be in deep trouble if your fiancé found out that her engagement ring was an ersatz diamond.
Vocabulary lists containing ersatz
Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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100 Words to Make You Sound Smart
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The Diary of a Young Girl
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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.
To begin with, there’s its ingratiating style, leisurely but leavened with wit and chutzpah, as well as Fiedler’s pervasive disdain for the sentimental and ersatz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
There was a sandwich shop built in an ersatz Alamo and imitation of San Antonio’s Riverwalk with a Mexican restaurant that offered both classic and frozen margaritas.
From Slate ● Mar. 30, 2026
The short sequence, created by Seedance -- the AI generation model developed by TikTok's parent company, Bytedance -- shows an ersatz fight between Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
It's become an ersatz Versailles with phony gilt tchotkes jammed in every corner and gaudy picture frames crowded together on the walls:
From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2025
He dialed—by memory—the number of the false-animal shop at which he had gotten his ersatz sheep.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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.
