phony

English

Alternative forms

• phoney

Etymology

Perhaps an alteration of fawney “gilt brass ring used by swindlers” (1781), from Irish 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
• phoneyness

Translations

fraudulent; fake

• Arabic: بَهْرَج m (báhraj), خَرّاص m (xarrāʂ)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 假 (zh) (jiǎ)

• Dutch: onecht, nagemaakt (nl)
• Finnish: väärä (fi), väärennetty
• French: frauduleux (fr) m, contrefait (fr) m, falsifié (fr) m, faux (fr) m, à la noix (fr), à la gomme

• German: gefälscht,
• Hebrew: מזויף
• Italian: falso (it), fasullo
• Japanese: 偽 (ja) (にせ, nise), 贋 (ja) (にせ, nise), 偽物の (にせものの, nisemono no)
• Russian: фальшивый (ru) (falʹšívyj), поддельный (ru) (poddélʹnyj)
• Spanish: falso (es)

Noun

phony (plural phonies)

1. A person who assumes an identity or quality other than their own.

   He claims to be a doctor, but he's nothing but a fast-talking phony.

2. A person who professes beliefs or opinions that they do not hold.

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

Synonyms

• (faker): dissembler, pretender, fake, faker

Derived terms

• phony up, phoney up
• Phony War, Phoney War

Translations

A person who assumes an identity or quality other than their own

• Finnish: huijari (fi)

• French: usurpateur (fr) m, usurpatrice (fr) f, faux-nez (fr), faussaire (fr)

A person who professes beliefs or opinions that they do not hold

• French: mystificateur (fr) m, guignol (fr) m, faux (fr) prophète (fr) m

faker (to be sorted)

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 騙子, 骗子 (zh) (piànzi)

• French: escroc (fr) m, f, charlatan (fr) m
• German: Quacksalber (de) m, Schwindler (de) m, Schwindlerin (de) f
• Italian: ciarlatano (it)

• Japanese: 詐欺師 (さぎし, sagishi)
• Russian: мошенник (ru) m (mošénnik), мошенница (ru) f (mošénnica), жулик (ru) m (žúlik)
• Spanish: farsante