sham
noun
something that is not what it purports to be; a spurious imitation; fraud or hoax.
was shamming
-
past progressiveof sham.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I also saw him, of course, at exercise continually, and I saw that he was becoming insane, and was being treated as if he was shamming.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2018
He was not even sure if Cluny was shamming, pretending that his injuries were severe merely as some kind of test or trap that he had set for his captains.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
And in this perfectly natural occurrence people try to detect a suspicion, a hint that he was shamming an attack on purpose.
From The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
"Maybe," said Mrs. Chivers, "and yet she was that won'erful wanderin' in her speech—" "You don't think she was shamming?"
From The Broom-Squire by S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould
I was shamming sleep, but, my word! he’s off again, sound as a church; and that means he’s getting well.
From Trapped by Malays A Tale of Bayonet and Kris by Steven Spurrier
