sham
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.
pretended; counterfeit; feigned: sham attacks; a sham Gothic façade.
designed, made, or used as a sham.
to produce an imitation of.
to assume the appearance of; pretend to have: to sham illness.
to make a false show of something; pretend.
Origin of sham
1synonym study For sham
Other words for sham
| 1 | pretense |
| 4 | spurious, make-believe, simulated, mock |
| 6 | imitate |
| 7 | feign, fake |
Opposites for sham
Other words from sham
- un·shammed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sham in a sentence
But seriously, your opinion was rather harsh; he's probably shamming to get excused from duty.
The Blue and The Gray | A. R. WhiteThe cunning creature was shamming death beneath the Wasp's stiletto, so artfully that I was taken in.
More Hunting Wasps | J. Henri FabreThe shamming of death is exactly what enables the huntress to succeed in her dangerous operation.
More Hunting Wasps | J. Henri FabreEven when he was as strong and well as ever, he spent much time in bed, shamming illness.
It crossed my mind that It might be only shamming, so I looked away and then turned sharply around to catch It.
A Holiday in Bed and Other Sketches | J. M. Barrie
British Dictionary definitions for sham
/ (ʃæm) /
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
counterfeit or false; simulated
to falsely assume the appearance of (something); counterfeit: to sham illness
Origin of sham
1Derived forms of sham
- shammer, noun
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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