fake

¹ American  

[feyk] / feɪk /

verb (used with object)

faked, faking

1. prepare or make (something specious, deceptive, or fraudulent).

   to fake a report showing nonexistent profits.

2. 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.

3. to pretend; simulate.

   to fake illness.

   Synonyms:

   fabricate, sham, dissemble, affect, feign

4. to accomplish by trial and error or by improvising.

   I don't know the job, but I can fake it.

5. to trick or deceive (an opponent) by making a fake (often followed byout ).

   The running back faked out the defender with a deft move and scored.

6. Jazz.

   1. to improvise.

      to fake an accompaniment.

   2. to play (music) without reading from a score.

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verb (used without object)

faked, faking

1. to fake something; pretend.

2. to give a fake to an opponent.

noun

1. anything made to appear otherwise than it actually is; counterfeit.

   This diamond necklace is a fake.

2. a person who fakes; faker.

   The doctor with the reputed cure for cancer proved to be a fake.

   Synonyms:

   deceiver, charlatan, quack, impostor, fraud

3. a spurious report or story.

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

adjective

1. designed to deceive or cheat; not real; counterfeit.

verb phrase

1. fake out

   1. to trick; deceive.

      She faked me out by acting friendly and then stole my job.

   2. to surprise, as by a sudden reversal.

      They thought we weren't coming back, but we faked them out by showing up during dinner.

fake ² American  

[feyk] / feɪk /

verb (used with object)

faked, faking

1. 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 bydown ).

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noun

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

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

fake ¹ British  

/ feɪk /

verb

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

2. to pretend to have (an illness, emotion, etc)

   to fake a headache

3. to improvise (music, stage dialogue, etc)

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noun

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

adjective

1. not genuine; spurious

fake ² British  

/ feɪk /

verb

1. to coil (a rope) on deck

---

noun

1. one round of a coil of rope

Usage

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. 

Other Word Forms

• faker
  noun
• fakery
  noun

Etymology

Origin of fake¹

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”

Origin of fake²

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

Explanation

You should have known that copy of the "Declaration of Independence" was a fake when you saw it was signed by "Jon Hancrock" instead of "John Hancock." Something that's fake isn't authentic. A person who falsely claims to be, feel, or do something can be said to be fake. When your friend acts sweet but spreads rumors about you behind your back, you can call her a fake. As a verb, fake means to take an action with the intent to deceive. If you've ever tried to fake a grade on your report card, you know that it's especially hard to change an F to an A.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fake faked faking

Anthropic said the operation ran roughly 300 fake social media accounts, though it could not determine whether the testimonies or dossiers reached their intended audiences or influenced policy decisions.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

A few blocks north of Canal Street, where tourists pick up fake designer bags for a fraction of what the genuine articles retail for, another kind of luxury mimicry has emerged.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

The cases of concern detected over the past eight months ranged from fake dating apps and hotel Wifi scams, to surveillance built to identify dissidents.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

Each site was given a made-up journalist's byline and a fake Twitter/X account, boosted by hundreds of fake accounts posting comments meant to look like real people.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

Lady Constance turned her fake smile to her mother-in-law.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

The vet suggested that she might have faked the injury after watching Anna.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

Indian authorities raided an operation in Mumbai that faked expiration dates on food products manufactured by PepsiCo, Nestlé, Coca-Cola and Unilever.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Median didn’t respond until Monday, first saying it was shutting down its polling operation, then admitting to The Times that the poll was faked.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Caligiuri faked right then cut left, the beaten defender sticking his right leg out wildly in protest.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026

So I screeched to a stop at the three-point line and head- faked.

From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie

From the moment she walked onto the stage at his public memorial in Arizona to fireworks more suited for a World Series championship, Erika Kirk has alienated people, even drawing accusations of faking her sorrow.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

Some have even resorted to faking influencer deals by posting variations of #ad on their posts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

The story of Nicholas Rossi, the US fugitive who came to the UK with a new identity after faking his own death.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

Prosecutor John Hipkin told the court that Hughes told police he did not know if Turner was "faking it" when he passed out.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

He wondered if she was just faking so she could spy on everyone.

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Related Words

• bogus
• counterfeit
• fabricated
• fictitious
• forged
• fraudulent
• mock
• phony
• spurious