false

[ fawls ]

/ fɔls /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR false ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, fals·er, fals·est.

not true or correct; erroneous: a false statement.

uttering or declaring what is untrue: a false witness.

not faithful or loyal; treacherous: a false friend.

tending to deceive or mislead; deceptive: a false impression.

not genuine; counterfeit.

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

dishonestly; faithlessly; treacherously: Did he speak false against me?

Nearby words

fallow, fallow deer, falls, fallujah, falmouth, false, false acacia, false alarm, false aloe, false anemia, false aneurysm

Idioms

play someone false, to betray someone; be treacherous or faithless.

Origin of false

before 1000; Middle English, Old English fals < Latin falsus feigned, false, orig. past participle of fallere to deceive; reinforced by or reborrowed from Anglo-French, Old French fals, feminine false < Latin

SYNONYMS FOR false

1 mistaken, incorrect, wrong, untrue.

2 untruthful, lying, mendacious.

3 insincere, hypocritical, disingenuous, disloyal, unfaithful, inconstant, perfidious, traitorous.

4 misleading, fallacious.

5 artificial, spurious, bogus, forged. 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.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR false ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

false·ly, adverbfalse·ness, nounhalf-false, adjectivequa·si-false, adjective

qua·si-false·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for false

He has contributed to a false picture of law enforcement based on isolated injustices.
Bill de Blasio’s Tea Party Problem|Will Cain|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And no issue should be defined by its outliers because it paints a false picture.
Bill de Blasio’s Tea Party Problem|Will Cain|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He quotes an unnamed cardinal saying that the conclave voters knew the charges were false.
How Pope Francis Became the World’s BFF|Jason Berry|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Once people with ID are arrested, they are particularly susceptible to making coerced and often false confessions.
How the U.S. Justice System Screws Prisoners with Disabilities|Elizabeth Picciuto|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He maintains a list of people with ID whom he believes were unjustly convicted after false confessions.
How the U.S. Justice System Screws Prisoners with Disabilities|Elizabeth Picciuto|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He attacks these idols one after the other, and vigorously casts down these false gods.
History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century (Volume 1)|J. H. Merle D'Aubign
In a day or two the defeated aspirant had further cause to curse his false friend.
The heart of happy hollow|Paul Laurence Dunbar
The secret you have whispered to me just now, whether true or false, I shall take to him.
Gabriel Conroy|Bert Harte
At last I could try no more; they were all dead like mother; I had chased the false water on the savannah.
Green Mansions|W. H. Hudson
It is as false a stimulant as opium or alcohol, and leaves a corresponding mark.
The Translation of a Savage, Complete|Gilbert Parker

British Dictionary definitions for false

false

/ (fɔːls) /

adjective

not in accordance with the truth or facts

irregular or invalida false start

untruthful or lyinga false account

not genuine, real, or natural; artificial; fakefalse eyelashes

being or intended to be misleading or deceptivea false rumour

disloyal or treacherousa false friend

based on mistaken or irrelevant ideas or factsfalse pride; a false argument

(prenominal) (esp of plants) superficially resembling the species specifiedfalse hellebore

serving to supplement or replace, often temporarilya 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

in a false or dishonest manner (esp in the phrase play (someone) false)

Derived Formsfalsely, adverbfalseness, noun

Word Origin for false

Old English fals, from Latin falsus, from fallere to deceive

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

Word Origin and History for false

false

adj.

late 12c., from Old French fals, faus (12c., Modern French faux) "false, fake, incorrect, mistaken, treacherous, deceitful," from Latin falsus "deceived, erroneous, mistaken," past participle of fallere "deceive, disappoint," of uncertain origin (see fail).

Adopted into other Germanic languages (cf. German falsch, Dutch valsch, Danish falsk), though English is the only one in which the active sense of "deceitful" (a secondary sense in Latin) has predominated. False alarm recorded from 1570s. Related: Falsely; falseness.

Idioms and Phrases with false

false

In addition to the idioms beginning with false

false alarm
false colors
false start
false step

also see:

lull into (false sense of security)
play false
ring false

false

adjective, fals·er, fals·est.

adverb

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Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of false

Examples from the Web for false

British Dictionary definitions for false

false

adjective

adverb

Word Origin for false

Word Origin and History for false

false

Idioms and Phrases with false

false