fake

[ feyk ]

/ feɪk /

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See synonyms for: fake / faked / faker / fakest on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), faked, fak·ing.

prepare or make (something specious, deceptive, or fraudulent): to fake a report showing nonexistent profits.

to conceal the defects of or make appear more attractive, interesting, valuable, etc., usually in order to deceive: The story was faked a bit to make it more sensational.

to pretend; simulate: to fake illness.

to accomplish by trial and error or by improvising: I don't know the job, but I can fake it.

to trick or deceive (an opponent) by making a fake (often followed by out): The running back faked out the defender with a deft move and scored.

Jazz.

to improvise: to fake an accompaniment.
to play (music) without reading from a score.

verb (used without object), faked, fak·ing.

to fake something; pretend.

to give a fake to an opponent.

noun

anything made to appear otherwise than it actually is; counterfeit: This diamond necklace is a fake.

a person who fakes; faker: The doctor with the reputed cure for cancer proved to be a fake.

a spurious report or story.

Sports. a simulated play or move intended to deceive an opponent.

adjective

designed to deceive or cheat; not real; counterfeit.

Verb Phrases

fake out, Slang.

to trick; deceive: She faked me out by acting friendly and then stole my job.
to surprise, as by a sudden reversal: They thought we weren't coming back, but we faked them out by showing up during dinner.

OTHER WORDS FOR fake

3 feign, affect, dissemble, sham, fabricate.

10 fraud, impostor, quack, charlatan, deceiver.

See synonyms for fake on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

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Origin of fake

First recorded in 1805–15; originally vagrants' slang: “to do for, rob, kill (someone), shape (something)”; perhaps variant of obsolete feak, feague “to beat,” akin to Dutch veeg “a slap,” vegen “to sweep, wipe”

Words nearby fake

Faizabad, faja, Fajardo, fajita, fajitas, fake, fake book, fake news, faker, fakery, fakir

Other definitions for fake (2 of 2)

fake²

[ feyk ]

/ feɪk /

Nautical

verb (used with object), faked, fak·ing.

to lay (a rope) in a coil or series of long loops so as to allow to run freely without fouling or kinking (often followed by down).

noun

any complete turn of a rope that has been faked down.

any of the various ways in which a rope may be faked down.

Also flake .

Origin of fake

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English faken “to coil (a rope),” of obscure origin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT FAKE

What is a basic definition of fake?

Fake describes something as not being real or as being an imitation that is designed to trick someone into thinking it is real or original. Fake also refers to a forgery or copy and is used to mean to pretend. Fake has several other senses as a noun and a verb.

If something is fake, it resembles something else but isn’t exactly the same. For example, a diamond is made from pressurized carbon over thousands of years. A fake diamond might have been made from glass in five minutes.

Most of the time, fake things are designed to be nearly identical to the original in order to trick or cheat someone. But not always. A resort might make fake snow out of crushed ice so it can offer skiing or snowboarding when it hasn’t snowed. The key is whether something is acknowledged or labelled as fake. Lying to customers by claiming that fake items are real is considered fraud and is against the law.

Real-life examples: Con artists often swindle people by selling fake jewelry, watches, antiques, and other cheap copies of expensive things. A person might wear fake nails or fake eyelashes. An indoor sports stadium may use fake grass.
Used in a sentence: I make fake swords to be used in movies.

In this same sense, fake is used as a noun to mean a copy or fabrication.

Used in a sentence: The car expert could easily tell if the sports car was a real Bugatti or a fake.

Also in this sense, fake is used as a verb to mean to make something that isn’t real or is a copy.

Used in a sentence: He faked hundreds of Roman coins before the authorities caught on to his scam.

As a verb, fake can also mean to pretend or to simulate something.

Used in a sentence: I faked illness so I could stay home from school.

Where does fake come from?

The first records of fake come from around 1805. It was originally a term from thieves’ slang meaning “to mug someone” or “to kill someone.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to fake?

faker (noun)
fakery (noun)

What are some synonyms for fake?

What are some words that share a root or word element with fake?

What are some words that often get used in discussing fake?

How is fake used in real life?

Fake is a very common word that describes something as not being genuine.

Fake tan is all fun and games until it goes gross and you have to try and scrub it off🙃

— Emily Canham (@EmilyCanham) April 22, 2018

Paris police sources say the 2 Syrian passports found on the terrorists were fakes probably made in Turkey

— Jon Snow (@jonsnowC4) November 15, 2015

Guys, I just found out a college student faked a sit down interview with me for a paper. I've never felt so proud.

— Tom Hart (@tom_hart) December 14, 2020

Try using fake!

Which of the following words is a synonym of fake?

A. real
B. genuine
C. imitation
D. legitimate

How to use fake in a sentence

With misinformation and disinformation about the pandemic, “cheap” and “deep” fakes of elected officials, and targeted ads and emotionally exploitative social media algorithms, it can begin to feel like all communication is manipulation.
The Dark Side of Smart - Facts So Romantic|Diana Fleischman|September 15, 2020|Nautilus
The state’s watchdog, however, argued that the company could falsely spread its rates over a fake population, giving the illusion that customers were getting a cost cut.
Environment Report: State Throws Cold Water on Pricing Scheme|MacKenzie Elmer|September 14, 2020|Voice of San Diego
She has coiffed hair and long fake eyelashes, but still puts in the same work everybody else does, taking orders and doing deliveries.
The Big Corporate Rescue and the America That’s Too Small to Save|by Lydia DePillis, Justin Elliott and Paul Kiel|September 12, 2020|ProPublica
You see how good we’re doing relative to other countries and other parts of the world, but the fake news doesn’t like saying that, they don’t like telling you that.
Trump keeps lying about how the US Covid-19 situation compares to other countries. Here are the facts.|Aaron Rupar|September 11, 2020|Vox

However, the new “fake news” bill would bypass the framework, allowing legislators to create a mechanism that could be used to restrict that freedom for millions of Brazilians.
Brazil’s “fake news” bill won’t solve its misinformation problem|Amy Nordrum|September 10, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Just how many fake nodes would be needed in order to pull off a successful Sybil attack against Tor is not known.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet|Marc Rogers|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He cast her as Hope, an ex-addict with an impressive pair of fake chompers—the result of years of drug abuse.
Jena Malone’s Long, Strange Trip From Homelessness to Hollywood Stardom|Marlow Stern|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are many of us who need to talk and be reached out to, even if we use fake Facebook accounts for our safety.
What It’s Like to Be an Atheist in Palestine|Waleed al-Husseini, Movements.Org|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A call made to police beforehand described Rice as “a guy with a pistol” on a swing set, but said it was “probably fake.”
The 14 Teens Killed by Cops Since Michael Brown|Nina Strochlic|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Crooks can use it to apply for credit, file fake claims with insurers, or buy drugs and medical equipment that can be resold.
How Your Pacemaker Will Get Hacked|Kaiser Health News|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And then all motion in that portion of the great fake would suddenly cease.
Mushroom Town|Oliver Onions
Within six months, if you're not sandbagged or jailed on fake libel suits, you'll have a unique bibliography of swindles.
Average Jones|Samuel Hopkins Adams
"I'll bet he's got some kind of a fake story to tell," suggested Will.
The Call of the Beaver Patrol|V. T. Sherman
It might just as well have been any other patent medicine, or any fake cure.
The Eugenic Marriage, Vol. 3 (of 4)|W. Grant Hague
If you happen to drift into the fake places, nothing more serious would happen than getting stuck good and hard.
Paris Vistas|Helen Davenport Gibbons

British Dictionary definitions for fake (1 of 2)

fake¹

/ (feɪk) /

verb

(tr) to cause (something inferior or not genuine) to appear more valuable, desirable, or real by fraud or pretence

to pretend to have (an illness, emotion, etc)to fake a headache

to improvise (music, stage dialogue, etc)

noun

an object, person, or act that is not genuine; sham, counterfeit, or forgery

adjective

not genuine; spurious

Derived forms of fake

faker, nounfakery, noun

Word Origin for fake

originally (C18) thieves' slang to mug or do someone; probably via Polari from Italian facciare to make or do

British Dictionary definitions for fake (2 of 2)

fake²

/ (feɪk) nautical /

verb

(tr usually foll by down) to coil (a rope) on deck

noun

one round of a coil of rope

Word Origin for fake

Middle English faken, perhaps via Lingua Franca from Italian facciare to make or do; see fake 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

fake

OTHER WORDS FOR fake

Origin of fake

Words nearby fake

Other definitions for fake (2 of 2)

Origin of fake

MORE ABOUT FAKE

What is a basic definition of fake?

Where does fake come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is fake used in real life?

Try using fake!

Words related to fake

How to use fake in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fake (1 of 2)

Derived forms of fake

Word Origin for fake

British Dictionary definitions for fake (2 of 2)

Word Origin for fake