sham

[ sham ]

/ ʃæm /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sham ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

something that is not what it purports to be; a spurious imitation; fraud or hoax.

a person who shams; shammer.

a cover or the like for giving a thing a different outward appearance: a pillow sham.

adjective

pretended; counterfeit; feigned: sham attacks; a sham Gothic façade.

designed, made, or used as a sham.

verb (used with object), shammed, sham·ming.

to produce an imitation of.

to assume the appearance of; pretend to have: to sham illness.

verb (used without object), shammed, sham·ming.

to make a false show of something; pretend.

Nearby words

shalom, shalom aleichem, shalosh seudoth, shalt, shalwar, sham, shama, shaman, shamanism, shamash, shamateur

Origin of sham

First recorded in 1670–80; origin uncertain

SYNONYMS FOR sham

1 pretense.

4 spurious, make-believe, simulated, mock. See false.

6 imitate.

7 feign, fake.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sham ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR sham

4 genuine.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR sham ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

un·shammed, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for sham

Also in 1997, Hayes entered a sham marriage with a Nigerian immigrant, for which she was paid $5,000.
The Crazy Oregon Governor Race Just Got Crazier|Tim Mak|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then came the admission of a sham marriage with an immigrant.
The Crazy Oregon Governor Race Just Got Crazier|Tim Mak|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But for the literalists who simply must know, who must look behind the curtain, who must see if Oz is real or a sham?
Holy Homophobia, Batman! A Queer Reading of the Dark Knight|Rich Goldstein|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As the pyramid grew, the teen struggled to manage his responsibilities at home, in school and with his sham company.
He Bullies Kids and Calls It News|Brandy Zadrozny|June 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The protest and legal action had been a sham, Mrs. Kasem said.
Casey Kasem's Family's Top 40 Meltdown Moments|Tim Teeman|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Really comfortable, in a human way, not in the sham way of the City.
Ripeness is All|Jesse Roarke
Sham Rao cast a furtive, timid look round him; and his voice, when he answered our questions, was somewhat tremulous.
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan|Helena Pretrovna Blavatsky
A critic of the highest order is provided with an Ithuriel spear, which discriminates the sham sentiments from the true.
Hours in a Library, Volume I. (of III.)|Leslie Stephen
And before his journey was over, amid his sham triumphs, he began to be disturbed by disquieting rumours.
Darkness and Dawn|Frederic W. Farrar
The sham German philanthropist glared ferociously as this description was given.
Jack Harkaway and His Son's Escape From the Brigand's of Greece|Bracebridge Hemyng

British Dictionary definitions for sham

sham

/ (ʃæm) /

noun

anything that is not what it purports or appears to be

something false, fake, or fictitious that purports to be genuine

a person who pretends to be something other than he is

adjective

counterfeit or false; simulated

verb shams, shamming or shammed

to falsely assume the appearance of (something); counterfeitto sham illness

Derived Forms

shammer, noun

Word Origin for sham

C17: perhaps a Northern English dialect variant of shame

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

sham

noun

adjective

verb (used with object), shammed, sham·ming.

verb (used without object), shammed, sham·ming.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of sham

SYNONYMS FOR sham

ANTONYMS FOR sham

Related forms

Examples from the Web for sham

British Dictionary definitions for sham

sham

noun

adjective

verb shams, shamming or shammed

Derived Forms

Word Origin for sham