knockoff
Americannoun
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knockoffs
plural
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an act or instance of knocking off.
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an unlicensed copy of something, especially fashion clothing, intended to be sold at a lower price than the original.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of knockoff
First recorded in 1870–75, for an earlier sense; noun use of verb phrase knock off
Explanation
A knockoff is a cheaply made copy of something. You can be pretty sure those Air Jordan sneakers are knockoffs if they only cost you ten dollars. Anything fake that looks almost exactly like the authentic version is a knockoff, from knockoff designer handbags to collectible baseball cards to prescription medication. You can also call these imitation goods counterfeits, like a painting that sells for a million dollars only to be revealed as a Monet knockoff. The goal of those who produce knockoffs is almost always to fool shoppers into thinking they're buying the real thing.
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.
See Examples For:
Sounds like something from a knockoff episode of “Black Mirror,” right?
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
Trevor Henderson drew a faceless monster called Siren Head eight years ago and watched it spawn YouTube films, knockoff Amazon.com merchandise and videogames.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
“Everyone sends me photos of knockoff ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ dolls from across the border,” Jimenez says laughing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2026
“Final thoughts,” he tells any young man watching, “Just get any cheap knockoff cologne, use crystals, try taking a shower, I don’t know.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026
Uniformed soldiers dig clams and launch missiles, pick apples and build irrigation canals, market mushrooms and supervise the export of knockoff Nintendo games.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
If a judge issues an injunction, law enforcement can seize knockoffs outside shows, and sellers can be summoned to court.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
In this way, the government's crackdown on affordable knockoffs threatens to lock many local customers out of the market.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
Demand suffered in recent years for many of its core products, from Lunchables to Capri Sun, as consumers turned to both buzzier premium options and cheaper supermarket knockoffs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
And then, Felix goes deep on one of his favorite topics: why knockoffs aren’t so bad.
From Slate ● Feb. 14, 2026
Mama wants to keep every single thing: baby clothes, our drawings from kindergarten, our cheap Barbie doll knockoffs.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
