sham
[noun]
Synonyms:
- phoney or phony (informal), counterfeit, forgery, fraud, hoax, humbug, imitation, impostor, pretence
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- false, artificial, bogus, counterfeit, feigned, imitation, mock, phoney or phony (informal), pretended, simulated
[verb]
Synonyms:
- fake, affect, assume, feign, pretend, put on, simulate

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Related Words: facade, fakery, false front, Potemkin village, ape, copy, imitate, mock, create, invent, lie, mislead, affected, assumed, feigned, pseudo, so-called, make-believe, pretend, plaster, synthetic, adulterated, bogus

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. sham¹ /ʃæm/ noun
[Date: 1600-1700; Origin: Perhaps from sham 'shame' (13-17 centuries), from shame]

1. [singular] someone or something that is not what they are claimed to be – used to show disapproval:
The elections were a complete sham.

2. [uncountable] literary when someone tries to make something or someone seem better than they really are:
It all turned out to be sham and hypocrisy.

3. [countable] a cover for a pillow, especially one used for decoration

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. sham² adjective [only before noun]
made to appear real in order to deceive people Synonym : false:
a sham marriage

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. sham³ verb (past tense and past participle shammed, present participle shamming) [intransitive and transitive] especially British English old-fashioned
to pretend to be upset, ill etc to gain sympathy or an advantage Synonym : feign:
She’s not ill, she’s only shamming.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲