phony US
ˈfoʊni
phonierphoniesphoniest
Definition Synonyms

Definition of phony - Reverso English Dictionary

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Adjective

fake thingUSnot real, made to trick or mislead peopleUS
  • That was a phony excuse for being late.
bogus fake sham

Noun

1.
false identityUSsomeone who pretends to be what they are notUS
  • He was exposed as a phony who lied about his credentials..
fraud imposter
2.
counterfeit itemUSobject that is not genuineUS
  • The watch turned out to be a phony.
fake imitation sham
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Expressions with phony

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indicate suspicion that something is fake or deceptive
I think there's something phony about that expensive watch.
extremely fake, dishonest, or completely bogus
He gave a phony as a three-dollar bill excuse for being late.
filled with nonsense or lies
The politician's speech was full of phony baloney.

Origin of phony

English, phoney (fake)

Terms with phony included in their meaning

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hokeyadj.
authenticity
phony or fake, lacking authenticity
video games
phony screenshot for game promotion

Examples of phony in a sentence

  • They received a phony warning email about their account.
  • The politician was revealed to be a phony.
  • She called him a phony after discovering his lies.
  • The painting was revealed to be a phony.
  • Collectors must be cautious of buying a phony.

View all translations of phony

Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
  1. French:faux, imposteur, ...
  2. German:falsch, Betrüger, ...
  3. Italian:falso, impostore, ...
  4. Spanish:falso, farsante, ...
  5. Portuguese:falso, impostor, ...
  6. Chinese:虚假的, 骗子, ...
  7. Japanese:偽物の, 偽者, ...
  8. Arabic:زائِف, محتال, ...
  9. Hebrew:מְזוּיָּף, מִתְחַזֶּה, ...
  10. Russian:фальшивый, обманщик, ...
  11. Ukrainian:фальшивий, шахрай, ...
  12. Hindi:नकली, ढोंगी, ...
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