SHAM: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for SHAM?

Need another word that means the same as “sham”? Find 54 synonyms and 30 related words for “sham” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Sham” are: fake, postiche, faker, fraud, imposter, impostor, pretender, pseud, pseudo, role player, shammer, pretence, act, fiction, simulation, imposture, feint, lie, counterfeit, charlatan, masquerader, dissembler, wolf in sheep's clothing, assumed, false, fictitious, fictive, pretended, feigned, simulated, artificial, bogus, synthetic, spurious, ersatz, insincere, not genuine, manufactured, contrived, affected, plastic, make-believe, assume, feign, simulate, affect, dissemble, pretend, put on, make a pretence of, imitate

Sham as a Noun

Definitions of "Sham" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “sham” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• A person who makes deceitful pretenses.
• Pretence.
• A thing that is not what it is purported to be.
• Something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be.
• A person who pretends to be someone or something they are not.

Synonyms of "Sham" as a noun (23 Words)

act	A document attesting a legal transaction. He put on quite an act for her benefit.
charlatan	A person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill. A self confessed con artist and charlatan.
counterfeit	A fraudulent imitation of something else. He knew the tapes to be counterfeits.
dissembler	A person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives.
fake	Something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be. Fakes of Old Masters.
faker	A person who makes deceitful pretenses. He labelled his opponent a political faker and a moral fraud.
feint	A mock attack or movement in warfare, made in order to distract or deceive an enemy. A brief feint at the opponent s face.
fiction	A belief or statement that is false but is often held to be true because it is expedient to do so. The notion of the country being a democracy is a polite fiction.
fraud	Wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain. Mediums exposed as tricksters and frauds.
imposter	A person who makes deceitful pretenses.
impostor	A person who makes deceitful pretenses. The charity has warned anyone approached by the impostor to contact police immediately.
imposture	Pretending to be another person. In a day and a night of violence and imposture William Bentley also succeeds in capturing a smuggler.
lie	The way direction or position in which something lies. He was familiarizing himself with the lie of the streets.
masquerader	A participant in a masquerade.
postiche	A covering or bunch of human or artificial hair used for disguise or adornment.
pretence	A false display of feelings, attitudes, or intentions. Before the age of two children start to engage in pretence.
pretender	A person who makes deceitful pretenses. The pretender to the throne.
pseud	A person who makes deceitful pretenses. At the height of the band s career he was thought to be the biggest pseud in rock.
pseudo	A pretentious or insincere person. The arty chat of a campus pseudo.
role player	What something is used for.
shammer	Someone shirking their duty by feigning illness or incapacity.
simulation	The technique of representing the real world by a computer program. Simulation models will allow researchers to test different strategies.
wolf in sheep's clothing	Austrian composer (1860-1903.

Usage Examples of "Sham" as a noun

• Our current free health service is a sham.
• George abhorred sham and affectation.
• He was a sham, totally unqualified for his job as a senior doctor.

Sham as a Verb

Definitions of "Sham" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “sham” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• Make believe with the intent to deceive.
• Pretend to be or to be experiencing.
• Make a pretence of.
• Falsely present something as the truth.

Synonyms of "Sham" as a verb (11 Words)

affect	Have an effect upon. Your attitude will affect how successful you are.
assume	Occupy or take on. He assumed to himself the right to fill all positions in the town.
counterfeit	Imitate fraudulently. No pretence could have counterfeited such terror.
dissemble	Behave unnaturally or affectedly. An honest sincere person with no need to dissemble.
fake	Tamper, with the purpose of deception. A faked exit visa.
feign	Make a pretence of. She feigned nervousness.
imitate	Copy (a person’s speech or mannerisms), especially for comic effect. The mime imitated the passers by.
make a pretence of	Carry out or commit.
pretend	Represent fictitiously as in a play or pretend to be or act like. I cannot pretend to say that you are wrong.
put on	Make an investment.
simulate	Make a pretence of. Red ochre intended to simulate blood.

Usage Examples of "Sham" as a verb

• The opossum escapes danger by shamming dead.
• He shammed a headache.
• Was he ill or was he shamming?
• She shams indifference.

Sham as an Adjective

Definitions of "Sham" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “sham” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Bogus; false.
• Adopted in order to deceive.

Synonyms of "Sham" as an adjective (20 Words)

affected	Speaking or behaving in an artificial way to make an impression. The gesture appeared both affected and stagy.
artificial	Artificially formal. Artificial sweeteners.
assumed	Adopted in order to deceive. An assumed name.
bogus	Not genuine or true (used in a disapproving manner when deception has been attempted. A bogus insurance claim.
contrived	Created or arranged in a way that seems artificial and unrealistic. Contrived coyness.
ersatz	Artificial and inferior. Ersatz coffee.
fake	Not genuine; imitation or counterfeit. It isn t fake anything it s real synthetic fur.
false	Used in names of plants animals and gems that superficially resemble the thing properly so called e g false oat. A false start.
feigned	Simulated or pretended; insincere. Feigned sympathy.
fictitious	Adopted in order to deceive. Reports of a deal were dismissed as fictitious by the Minister.
fictive	Capable of imaginative creation. The obviously fictive genres poetry drama and the novel.
insincere	Not expressing genuine feelings. She flashed him an insincere smile.
make-believe	Imagined as in a play.
manufactured	(of something abstract) made or produced in a merely mechanical way. Manufactured consumer goods.
not genuine	Being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something- G.K.Chesterton.
plastic	Made of plastic. The writer is drawn to words as a plastic medium.
pretended	Adopted in order to deceive. Eating ice cream with pretended unconcern.
simulated	Manufactured in imitation of some other material. A simulated leather handbag.
spurious	Ostensibly valid, but not actually valid. The dominions of both rulers passed away to their spurious or doubtful offspring.
synthetic	(of a language) characterized by the use of inflections rather than word order to express grammatical structure. Synthetic rubber.

Usage Examples of "Sham" as an adjective

• A clergyman who arranged a sham marriage.
• Sham modesty.

Associations of "Sham" (30 Words)

assumed	Adopted in order to deceive. The assumed rate of return.
baloney	Pretentious or silly talk or writing. I don t buy it it s all a load of baloney.
concoct	Make a concoction of by mixing. She began to concoct a dinner likely to appeal to him.
counterfeit	Not genuine; imitating something superior. He knew the tapes to be counterfeits.
dissemble	Conceal or disguise one’s true feelings or beliefs. An honest sincere person with no need to dissemble.
factitious	Artificially created or developed. Brokers created a factitious demand for stocks.
fake	Make (an event) appear to happen. It isn t fake anything it s real synthetic fur.
faux	Made in imitation; artificial. A rope of faux pearls.
feign	Make believe with the intent to deceive. She feigned nervousness.
fictitious	Formed or conceived by the imagination. A fictitious address.
figment	A contrived or fantastic idea. It really was Ross and not a figment of her overheated imagination.
forgery	A forged document, signature, banknote, or work of art. He was found guilty of forgery.
fraud	A person who makes deceitful pretenses. He was convicted of fraud.
hypocrisy	Insincerity by virtue of pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have. She was irritated to be accused of hypocrisy.
hypocrite	A person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives. The story tells of respectable Ben who turns out to be a cheat and a hypocrite.
imitate	Take or follow as a model. She imitated my Scots accent.
imitation	Not genuine or real being an imitation of the genuine article. Decorated with imitation palm leaves.
imitative	Following a model or example without any attempt at originality. Acting is an imitative art.
impersonate	Represent another person with comic intentions. She impersonates Madonna.
impostor	A person who makes deceitful pretenses. The charity has warned anyone approached by the impostor to contact police immediately.
inauthentic	Not in fact what it is said to be. These books were fabricated and contained inauthentic material.
phony	Fraudulent; having a misleading appearance.
pretend	Represent fictitiously as in a play or pretend to be or act like. She turned the pages and pretended to read.
pretended	Not genuine; assumed. A pretended interest.
pretender	A person who claims or aspires to a title or position. The pretender to the throne.
pretension	The advancing of a claim. He spoke simply without pretension.
pseudo	A pretentious or insincere person. We are talking about real journalists and not the pseudo kind.
simulate	Pretend to have or feel (an emotion. Red ochre intended to simulate blood.
simulated	(of an emotion) pretended or feigned. She howled in simulated anguish.
spurious	Born out of wedlock- E.A.Freeman. Separating authentic and spurious claims.