sham

American  

[sham] / ʃæm /

noun

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

   Synonyms:

   pretense, pretense

2. a person who shams; shammer.

3. a cover or the like for giving a thing a different outward appearance.

   a pillow sham.

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adjective

1. pretended; counterfeit; feigned.

   sham attacks; a sham Gothic façade.

   Synonyms:

   mock, make-believe, spurious

   Antonyms:

   genuine

2. designed, made, or used as a sham.

verb (used with object)

shammed, shamming

1. to produce an imitation of.

   Synonyms:

   imitate

2. to assume the appearance of; pretend to have.

   to sham illness.

   Synonyms:

   fake, feign

verb (used without object)

shammed, shamming

1. to make a false show of something; pretend.

sham British  

/ ʃæm /

noun

1. anything that is not what it purports or appears to be

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

3. a person who pretends to be something other than he is

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adjective

1. counterfeit or false; simulated

verb

1. to falsely assume the appearance of (something); counterfeit

   to sham illness

Related Words

See false.

Other Word Forms

• shammer noun
• unshammed adjective

Etymology

Origin of sham

First recorded in 1670–80; perhaps an alteration of shame ( def. ); origin uncertain

Example Sentences

They were both given 10-year sentences last month, after a "sham trial", according to their family.

From BBC

Treated mice had lower levels of collagen, a major component of scar tissue, than untreated mice or those that underwent a sham procedure in which the intestine was cut and reconnected without removing tissue.

From Science Daily

The complete nonsense of his framing me as an ideal wife, and of Ma carrying on with the sham, was just too much.

From Literature

Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, were detained in January 2025 while travelling, and later sentenced to 10 years in prison in what their family called a "sham trial".

From BBC

Kahn's lawyer Ruzumna told BBC News that his client thought he was providing a favour to her, not participating in a sham, and the woman and her partner thanked him for providing the letter.

From BBC

Related Words

• farce
• forgery
• fraud
• hypocrisy
• mockery
• travesty