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

None of this is to say the AI story out of China is fake.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

To make sure Europeans immediately know whether the online content they see is real or fake.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

Because the process is largely automated, fake tracks often remain online until a rights-owner spots them and alerts the platform.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

We added a super crazy, comfy couch made of fake fur and people love it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

“Rescue yourself,” he said, tossing his fake sword to the “princess.”

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Video blogger Geng Hongwei, a 33-year-old graduate-school dropout, alleged in May that Shanghai University scientists faked data in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

We now know from court documents that the thief is alleged to have faked a handwritten note saying that particular item had been stolen in 1963.

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

A California custody lawsuit over an aging Labrador ended with both sides being punished for citing precedents faked by AI.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2026

Whenever someone likes to claim that the moon landing was faked — a fairly tedious conversation, even as conspiracy theories go — my general response is to ask, “OK, which one?”

From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2026

He faked as though he were going for the steal, then retreated as Rostelli switched hands and passed it to the other guard.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

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 easy definition of flopping or diving is faking an injury to get favorable treatment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 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

Faking illness when faking death didn’t seem to work.

From Salon ● Feb. 17, 2026

She can tell if I’m really sick or simply faking it, because sometimes I do pretend I don’t feel good just so I can stay home.

From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper

Related Words

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