sham

Plural: shams

Noun

• something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be
• a person who makes deceitful pretenses
• A fake; an imitation that purports to be genuine.
• Trickery, hoaxing.
• A false front, or removable ornamental covering.
• A decorative cover for a pillow.
• Clipping of champagne.

Verb

Verb Forms: shammed, shamming, shams

• To feign; to pretend to be something one is not.
• make a pretence of
• make believe with the intent to deceive
  • "He shammed a headache"
• To deceive, cheat, lie.
• To obtrude by fraud or imposition.
• To assume the manner and character of; to imitate; to ape; to feign.

Adjective Satellite

• adopted in order to deceive
  • "sham modesty"

Adj

• Intended to deceive; false.
• Counterfeit; unreal.

Examples

• A con-man must be skilled in the arts of sham and deceit.
• He tried to SHAM disinterest, but secretly he was planning a huge Words With Friends play.
• It was only a sham wedding: they didn't care much for one another, but wanted their parents to stop hassling them.
• The time-share deal was a sham.

Synonyms

affect, assume, assumed, dissemble, fake, faker, false, feign, fictitious, fictive, fraud, imposter, impostor, postiche, pretend, pretended, pretender, pseud, pseudo, put on, role player, shammer, simulate, mock

Antonyms

genuine, real, sincere

Related Words

pillow sham

Anagrams of sham