fake 1 of 3

adjective

ˈfāk How to pronounce fake (audio)
Definition of fakenext
1
as in faux
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials opposed to the unnecessary killing of animals, she'll consider wearing only fake furs

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2
as in counterfeit
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud arrested for peddling "designer" watches that were fake

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3
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality the boss's pitiful attempts at humor were met with fake laughter

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4
as in double
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express the fake friendliness of the sales rep made me want to gag

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fake

2 of 3

noun

1
as in hoax
an imitation that is passed off as genuine experts declared that one of the museum's prized paintings was actually a fake

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2
as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise a hidden-camera investigation revealed that the so-called psychic was a fake

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fake

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to counterfeit
to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive pranksters faked giant footprints and then claimed that they had seen Bigfoot

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2
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of while running for class president, Dan was not above faking friendship with people just to get their votes

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3
as in to concoct
to perform, make, or do without preparation if you give me the gist of the plan, I can probably fake enough for the speech

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4
as in to evade
to elude (an opponent in a sports contest) by making a deceptive or agile movement the running back faked the defense by stepping to his left and then quickly cutting to the right

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For
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fake documents
counterfeit documents
falsified documents
fraudulent documents
phony documents
bogus documents
a fake identity
a falsified identity
a fraudulent identity
a counterfeit identity
a fictitious identity
a feigned identity
fake news
bogus news
phony news
a fake smile
an inauthentic smile
a feigned smile
a hollow smile
a counterfeit smile
a phony smile

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fake different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of fake are counterfeit, fraud, humbug, imposture, and sham. While all these words mean "a thing made to seem other than it is," fake implies an imitation of or substitution for the genuine but does not necessarily imply dishonesty.

these jewels are fakes; the real ones are in the vault

When could counterfeit be used to replace fake?

The meanings of counterfeit and fake largely overlap; however, counterfeit applies especially to the close imitation of something valuable.

20-dollar bills that were counterfeits

When is fraud a more appropriate choice than fake?

The synonyms fraud and fake are sometimes interchangeable, but fraud usually implies a deliberate perversion of the truth.

the diary was exposed as a fraud

In what contexts can humbug take the place of fake?

While the synonyms humbug and fake are close in meaning, humbug suggests elaborate pretense usually so flagrant as to be transparent.

creating publicity by foisting humbugs on a gullible public

When is it sensible to use imposture instead of fake?

The words imposture and fake are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, imposture applies to any situation in which a spurious object or performance is passed off as genuine.

their claim of environmental concern is an imposture

When would sham be a good substitute for fake?

Although the words sham and fake have much in common, sham applies to fraudulent imitation of a real thing or action.

condemned the election as a sham

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fake
Adjective
With its release, Keery is ready to ditch the fake hair and jumpsuit and step into the spotlight as his own brand of rock star. — EW.com, 4 Apr. 2025 An Arizona man who authorities say was radicalized online was convicted on Thursday of planting a fake bomb at a Roseville church, court documents show. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
As a bonus, this reusable fake is a fun prop to keep around for make-believe health care provider visits. — Kimberly Stoney, Parents, 19 Mar. 2025 His said his aim was to bring the history of the glasses to life, and add value and traceability in a world plagued by fakes. — Samantha Conti, WWD, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
Here's how to fake being a Cubs fan: First off, your eyes aren't deceiving you — the left-handed hitting outfielder is not Cody Bellinger. — Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 17 Mar. 2025 People who fake disability — this is the major area of fraud in the Social Security system. — Thomas Hager, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fake
  1. faux
  2. counterfeit
  3. mock
  4. double
  5. hoax
  6. fraud
  7. forge
  8. pretend
Adjective
  • Leather or faux leather are both common suspects for luxury crossbody phone bags, but there are also alternatives made with recycled, easy-to-clean nylon, suede, canvas, and beyond.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Both the Oppo Find X6 Ultra and Find X7 Ultra had a dual-tone finish where half the phone featured a faux leather back.
    — Prakhar Khanna, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of faux
Adjective
  • In Asia, a shadow trade war has long been fought in China over intellectual property—mainly counterfeit goods like putting a Blackhawks logo on an unauthorized cap.
    — Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Image Beware of counterfeit eclipse glasses and solar viewers.
    — Katrina Miller, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of counterfeit
Adjective
  • In mock drafts, Hampton is often mocked to the early twenties or even late twenties to a team like the Washington Commanders.
    — John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Afterward, a mock court-martial was held, complete with the sentencing and execution of a private accused of desertion.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of mock
Adjective
  • By that same time next year, Munn had a nipple delay procedure, lymph node dissection, a double mastectomy, and reconstructive surgery.
    — Jenna Ryu, SELF, 10 Apr. 2025
  • By the time Survivor’s post-merge double elimination episode was complete, only one original Vula member stood to live another day.
    — Nick Caruso, TVLine, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of double
Noun
  • This is not a hoax, this is a group of concerned citizens.
    — Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
  • When an apparent white supremacist bomb threat was called (later determined to be a hoax), police officers instructed protesters to exit the building.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of hoax
Noun
  • The panel also agreed Way acted with malice, oppression or fraud, and awarded her another $250,000 in punitive damages.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Robinson faces five felonies: concealment of a death, identity theft, two counts of financial card theft, financial card fraud and car theft.
    — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of fraud
Verb
  • The film, which is represented internationally by Pathé, follows a woman who leaves her hometown to forge a bigger and better life for herself, but must return home because of a family emergency.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Cuban forged a particular bond with Dumont, sensing long-term business opportunities with the son-in-law of Miriam Adelson, Sheldon’s widow.
    — C. Clark, D. Aldridge, S. Amick, F. Katz, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of forge
Verb
  • Read: America is done pretending about meat All of this social-media attention has been translating into people’s actual eating habits, Victoria Fitzgerald, who oversees Whole Foods Market’s meat merchandising, told me.
    — Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The crowd cheered, but Rema was clearly lip-synching and not trying hard to pretend otherwise, pulling the mic away from his mouth while the recording of his voice continued.
    — Jem Aswad, Variety, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of pretend

Phrases Containing fake

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Cite this Entry

“Fake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

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