phony
or pho·ney
not real or genuine; fake; counterfeit: a phony diamond.
false or deceiving; not truthful; concocted: a phony explanation.
insincere or deceitful; affected or pretentious: a phony sales representative.
something that is phony; a counterfeit or fake.
an insincere, pretentious, or deceitful person: He thought my friends were a bunch of phonies.
to falsify; counterfeit; fabricate (often followed by up): to phony up a document.
Origin of phony
1Other words for phony
Other words from phony
- pho·ni·ly, adverb
- pho·ni·ness, noun
How to use phony in a sentence
Why the low pay and job insecurity that come with “emotional work” is creating a nation full of phonies.
He was too cynical about politics, and he could spot phonies whichever party they were in.
In a field filled with phonies, Bob Kerrey has always been the real deal.
Bob Kerrey Closes In On Reclaiming His Nebraska Senate Seat | John Avlon | October 29, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTBut Chaffetz and these other phonies aren't interested in the truth.
Benghazi: Who Can Take These Hypocrites Seriously? | Michael Tomasky | October 10, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTIn YA lit, non-white teens still tend to fight racism and violence more than cliques and phonies.
If your idea pays off, Tom, we should be able to checkmate every move those phonies and their allies make!
Tom Swift and The Visitor from Planet X | Victor AppletonAnyway, I wouldn't blame her, after the exhibition I made the other night, for classin' me with the phonies.
Shorty McCabe | Sewell Ford
British Dictionary definitions for phony (1 of 2)
/ (ˈfəʊnɪ) /
Derived forms of phony
- phoniness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for -phony (2 of 2)
indicating a specified type of sound: cacophony; euphony
Origin of -phony
2Derived forms of -phony
- -phonic, adj combining form
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
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