Categories: GeneralSynonyms

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)

actA document attesting a legal transaction.
He put on quite an act for her benefit.
charlatanA person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill.
A self confessed con artist and charlatan.
counterfeitA fraudulent imitation of something else.
He knew the tapes to be counterfeits.
dissemblerA person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives.
fakeSomething that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be.
Fakes of Old Masters.
fakerA person who makes deceitful pretenses.
He labelled his opponent a political faker and a moral fraud.
feintA mock attack or movement in warfare, made in order to distract or deceive an enemy.
A brief feint at the opponent s face.
fictionA 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.
fraudWrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.
Mediums exposed as tricksters and frauds.
imposterA person who makes deceitful pretenses.
impostorA person who makes deceitful pretenses.
The charity has warned anyone approached by the impostor to contact police immediately.
imposturePretending to be another person.
In a day and a night of violence and imposture William Bentley also succeeds in capturing a smuggler.
lieThe way direction or position in which something lies.
He was familiarizing himself with the lie of the streets.
masqueraderA participant in a masquerade.
posticheA covering or bunch of human or artificial hair used for disguise or adornment.
pretenceA false display of feelings, attitudes, or intentions.
Before the age of two children start to engage in pretence.
pretenderA person who makes deceitful pretenses.
The pretender to the throne.
pseudA person who makes deceitful pretenses.
At the height of the band s career he was thought to be the biggest pseud in rock.
pseudoA pretentious or insincere person.
The arty chat of a campus pseudo.
role playerWhat something is used for.
shammerSomeone shirking their duty by feigning illness or incapacity.
simulationThe technique of representing the real world by a computer program.
Simulation models will allow researchers to test different strategies.
wolf in sheep's clothingAustrian 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)

affectHave an effect upon.
Your attitude will affect how successful you are.
assumeOccupy or take on.
He assumed to himself the right to fill all positions in the town.
counterfeitImitate fraudulently.
No pretence could have counterfeited such terror.
dissembleBehave unnaturally or affectedly.
An honest sincere person with no need to dissemble.
fakeTamper, with the purpose of deception.
A faked exit visa.
feignMake a pretence of.
She feigned nervousness.
imitateCopy (a person’s speech or mannerisms), especially for comic effect.
The mime imitated the passers by.
make a pretence ofCarry out or commit.
pretendRepresent fictitiously as in a play or pretend to be or act like.
I cannot pretend to say that you are wrong.
put onMake an investment.
simulateMake 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)

affectedSpeaking or behaving in an artificial way to make an impression.
The gesture appeared both affected and stagy.
artificialArtificially formal.
Artificial sweeteners.
assumedAdopted in order to deceive.
An assumed name.
bogusNot genuine or true (used in a disapproving manner when deception has been attempted.
A bogus insurance claim.
contrivedCreated or arranged in a way that seems artificial and unrealistic.
Contrived coyness.
ersatzArtificial and inferior.
Ersatz coffee.
fakeNot genuine; imitation or counterfeit.
It isn t fake anything it s real synthetic fur.
falseUsed in names of plants animals and gems that superficially resemble the thing properly so called e g false oat.
A false start.
feignedSimulated or pretended; insincere.
Feigned sympathy.
fictitiousAdopted in order to deceive.
Reports of a deal were dismissed as fictitious by the Minister.
fictiveCapable of imaginative creation.
The obviously fictive genres poetry drama and the novel.
insincereNot expressing genuine feelings.
She flashed him an insincere smile.
make-believeImagined as in a play.
manufactured(of something abstract) made or produced in a merely mechanical way.
Manufactured consumer goods.
not genuineBeing or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something- G.K.Chesterton.
plasticMade of plastic.
The writer is drawn to words as a plastic medium.
pretendedAdopted in order to deceive.
Eating ice cream with pretended unconcern.
simulatedManufactured in imitation of some other material.
A simulated leather handbag.
spuriousOstensibly 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)

assumedAdopted in order to deceive.
The assumed rate of return.
baloneyPretentious or silly talk or writing.
I don t buy it it s all a load of baloney.
concoctMake a concoction of by mixing.
She began to concoct a dinner likely to appeal to him.
counterfeitNot genuine; imitating something superior.
He knew the tapes to be counterfeits.
dissembleConceal or disguise one’s true feelings or beliefs.
An honest sincere person with no need to dissemble.
factitiousArtificially created or developed.
Brokers created a factitious demand for stocks.
fakeMake (an event) appear to happen.
It isn t fake anything it s real synthetic fur.
fauxMade in imitation; artificial.
A rope of faux pearls.
feignMake believe with the intent to deceive.
She feigned nervousness.
fictitiousFormed or conceived by the imagination.
A fictitious address.
figmentA contrived or fantastic idea.
It really was Ross and not a figment of her overheated imagination.
forgeryA forged document, signature, banknote, or work of art.
He was found guilty of forgery.
fraudA person who makes deceitful pretenses.
He was convicted of fraud.
hypocrisyInsincerity by virtue of pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have.
She was irritated to be accused of hypocrisy.
hypocriteA 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.
imitateTake or follow as a model.
She imitated my Scots accent.
imitationNot genuine or real being an imitation of the genuine article.
Decorated with imitation palm leaves.
imitativeFollowing a model or example without any attempt at originality.
Acting is an imitative art.
impersonateRepresent another person with comic intentions.
She impersonates Madonna.
impostorA person who makes deceitful pretenses.
The charity has warned anyone approached by the impostor to contact police immediately.
inauthenticNot in fact what it is said to be.
These books were fabricated and contained inauthentic material.
phonyFraudulent; having a misleading appearance.
pretendRepresent fictitiously as in a play or pretend to be or act like.
She turned the pages and pretended to read.
pretendedNot genuine; assumed.
A pretended interest.
pretenderA person who claims or aspires to a title or position.
The pretender to the throne.
pretensionThe advancing of a claim.
He spoke simply without pretension.
pseudoA pretentious or insincere person.
We are talking about real journalists and not the pseudo kind.
simulatePretend to have or feel (an emotion.
Red ochre intended to simulate blood.
simulated(of an emotion) pretended or feigned.
She howled in simulated anguish.
spuriousBorn out of wedlock- E.A.Freeman.
Separating authentic and spurious claims.
Alexei

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