phony

English

Alternative forms

• phoney

Etymology

Perhaps an alteration of fawney “gilt brass ring used by swindlers” (1781), from Ir. fáinne “ring.”

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊni

Adjective

phony (comparative phonier, superlative phoniest)

1. Fraudulent; fake; having a misleading appearance.

   A good jeweler should be able to tell a real stone from a phony one.

Synonyms

• (fraudulent): bogus, counterfeit, fake
• See also Wikisaurus:fake

Antonyms

• authentic
• genuine

Derived terms

• phoniness

Translations

Fraudulent; fake

• Finnish: väärä (fi), väärennetty (fi)
• French: faux (fr)

• Italian: falso (it)
• Japanese: 偽物 (ja)
• Spanish: falso (es)

Noun

phony (plural phonies)

1. A faker, a person who professes beliefs or opinions that they do not hold or assumes an identity other than their own.

   He's such a phony, he doesn't believe half of what he says.

Synonyms

(faker): dissembler, pretender, fake

Translations

faker

• French: charlatan (fr)
• German: Quacksalber (de)

• Italian: ciarlatano (it)
• Japanese: 詐欺師 (ja)
• Spanish: farsante (es)