phony

or pho·ney

[ foh-nee ]

See synonyms for: phony phonied phonies phonying on Thesaurus.com

adjective,pho·ni·er, pho·ni·est.

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.

noun,plural pho·nies.

something that is phony; a counterfeit or fake.
an insincere, pretentious, or deceitful person: He thought my friends were a bunch of phonies.

verb (used with object),pho·nied, pho·ny·ing.

to falsify; counterfeit; fabricate (often followed by up): to phony up a document.

Origin of phony

1895–1900; perhaps alteration and respelling of fawney (slang) finger ring (<Irish fsptáinne), if taken to mean “false” in the phrase fawney rig a confidence game in which a brass ring is sold as a gold one

Other words for phony

4	fraud, imitation, hoax

See synonyms for phony on Thesaurus.com

Other words from phony

pho·ni·ly, adverb
pho·ni·ness, noun

Other definitions for -phony (2 of 2)

-phony

a combining form used in the formation of abstract nouns corresponding to nouns ending in -phone: telephony.

Origin of -phony

<Greek -phōnia;see -phone, -y³

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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.
Why Your Waiter Hates You | Jedediah Purdy | October 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He was too cynical about politics, and he could spot phonies whichever party they were in.
Jack Germond, a Reporter From Another Time | Eleanor Clift | August 14, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
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 BEAST
But 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 BEAST
In YA lit, non-white teens still tend to fight racism and violence more than cliques and phonies.
The End of the White Outsider | Ned Vizzini | July 25, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST

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 Appleton
Anyway, 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)

phony

/ (ˈfəʊnɪ) /

adjective, noun-nier or -niest or plural -nies

a variant spelling (esp US) of phoney

Derived forms of phony

phoniness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for -phony (2 of 2)

-phony

n combining form

indicating a specified type of sound: cacophony; euphony

Origin of -phony

from Greek -phōnia, from phōnē sound

Derived 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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