Phony — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb /ˈfō-nē/ pho·ny

Meaning & Definition of Phony

Phony (adjective)

  1. not genuine or real
  2. intended to deceive or mislead
  3. intended to defraud, counterfeit

Phony (noun)

  1. one that is phony

Phony (verb)

  1. counterfeit, fake —often used with up

Phony (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud

    "a phony watch with a designer logo"

    similar: bogus, counterfeit, fake, false, forged, inauthentic, sham, snide, spurious, unauthentic
    related: artificial, factitious, imitation, man-made, mimic, mock, simulated, substitute, synthetic, dummy, nonfunctioning, ornamental, cultured, fabricated, manufactured, deceptive, delusive, misleading
    opposite: authentic, bona fide, genuine, real, unfaked
    near: natural, actual, true, valid

  2. lacking in natural or spontaneous quality

    "she always has this phony smile just before she betrays you"

    similar: affected, artificial, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake, false, feigned, forced, mechanical, mock, plastic, pretended, pseudo, put-on, sham, simulated, spurious, strained, unnatural
    related: automatic, canned, concocted, fabricated, hokey, labored, manufactured, pat, unauthentic, unreal, unrealistic, double-dealing, empty, facile, hollow, hypocritical, insincere, left-handed, mealy, mealymouthed, two-faced, unctuous, exaggerated, histrionic, melodramatic, overacted, overdone, theatrical, cute, cutesy, genteel, goody-goody, mincing, overrefined, simpering, conventional, formal, impersonal, inflexible, rigid, stiff, stylized, wooden, artful, calculated, conscious, cultivated, deliberate, premeditated, studied
    opposite: artless, genuine, natural, spontaneous, unaffected, uncontrived, unfeigned, unforced
    near: authentic, bona fide, real, realistic, right, true, honest, ingenuous, sincere, unpretending, easy, effortless, smooth, extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, unconscious, unprompted, unrehearsed, unstudied

  3. not being or expressing what one appears to be or express

    "her concern for our welfare is as phony as all get-out—she just wants to know our business"

    similar: artificial, backhanded, counterfeit, double, double-dealing, double-faced, fake, feigned, hypocritical, insincere, Janus-faced, jive (slang), left-handed, lip, mealy, mealymouthed, Pecksniffian, phony-baloney, pretended, two-faced, unctuous
    related: affected, assumed, claptrap, contrived, forced, mechanical, put-on, simulated, strained, unnatural, empty, hollow, meaningless, deceitful, devious, dishonest, false, untruthful, facile, glib, superficial, bogus, sham, campy, facetious, jocular, tongue-in-cheek, canting, pharisaical, pious, sanctimonious, self-righteous, simon-pure
    opposite: artless, candid, genuine, heartfelt, honest, sincere, undesigning, unfeigned
    near: direct, forthright, frank, heart-to-heart, open, plain, straightforward

Phony (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an imitation that is passed off as genuine

    "the fancy emerald ring turned out to be a phony"

    similar: counterfeit, fake, forgery, hoax, humbug, sham
    related: copycat, knockoff, copy, facsimile, replica, reproduction, dummy, mock-up, fraud, gaff, imposture, spoof, swindle, simulation, synthetic, bastard, brummagem, duffer, shoddy
    near: original

  2. one who makes false claims of identity or expertise

    "the person who performed the liposuction operation was later discovered to be a phony"

    similar: charlatan, fake, faker, fakir, fraud, hoaxer, humbug, impostor, mountebank, pretender, quack, quacksalver, ringer, sham
    related: copycat, imitator, impersonator, mimic, actor, bluffer, counterfeiter, deceiver, dissembler, duper, feigner, misleader, operator, trickster, poseur, cozener, defrauder, dodger, fraudster (chiefly British), scammer, scamster, sharper, sharpie, skinner, swindler
    near: ace, adept, authority, crackerjack, expert, maestro, master, past master, professional, virtuoso, whiz, wizard

Phony (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive

    "the terrorists were able to move around the country using phonied driver's licenses"

    similar: counterfeit, fake, forge
    related: simulate, duplicate, reduplicate, replicate, reproduce, crib, plagiarize, adulterate, doctor, fudge, juggle, manipulate, tamper (with), concoct, cook (up), fabricate, invent

Related Entry: Phony-baloney (adjective)

Phony-baloney is a different word from Phony. The synonyms below are for phony-baloney, not for phony.

  1. not being or expressing what one appears to be or express

    "if you believe the company's phony-baloney press releases, it's in business solely for the benefit of mankind"

    similar: artificial, backhanded, counterfeit, double, double-dealing, double-faced, fake, feigned, hypocritical, insincere, Janus-faced, jive (slang), left-handed, lip, mealy, mealymouthed, Pecksniffian, phony, pretended, two-faced, unctuous
    related: affected, assumed, claptrap, contrived, forced, mechanical, put-on, simulated, strained, unnatural, empty, hollow, meaningless, deceitful, devious, dishonest, false, untruthful, facile, glib, superficial, bogus, sham, campy, facetious, jocular, tongue-in-cheek, canting, pharisaical, pious, sanctimonious, self-righteous, simon-pure
    opposite: artless, candid, genuine, heartfelt, honest, sincere, undesigning, unfeigned
    near: direct, forthright, frank, heart-to-heart, open, plain, straightforward

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Phony

The most common words with a similar meaning to Phony:

Slang: jive
bogus, counterfeit, fake, false, forged, inauthentic, sham, snide, spurious, unauthentic, affected, artificial, assumed, contrived, factitious, feigned, forced, mechanical, mock, plastic, pretended, pseudo, put-on, simulated, strained, unnatural, backhanded, double, double-dealing, double-faced, hypocritical, insincere, Janus-faced, left-handed, lip, mealy, mealymouthed, Pecksniffian, phony-baloney, two-faced

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Phony

Words with the opposite meaning of Phony:

authentic, bona fide, genuine, real, unfaked, artless, natural, spontaneous, unaffected, uncontrived, unfeigned, unforced, candid, heartfelt, honest, sincere, undesigning

Related Words for Phony

imitation, man-made, mimic, substitute, synthetic, dummy, nonfunctioning, ornamental, cultured, fabricated, manufactured, deceptive, delusive, misleading, automatic, canned, concocted, hokey, labored, pat, unreal, unrealistic, empty, facile, hollow, exaggerated, histrionic, melodramatic, overacted, overdone

Near Antonyms of Phony

actual, true, valid, realistic, right, ingenuous, unpretending, easy, effortless, smooth, extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, unconscious, unprompted, unrehearsed, unstudied, direct, forthright, frank, heart-to-heart, open, plain, straightforward, original, ace, adept, authority, crackerjack

Word Forms of Phony

Inflections: phonier, phoniest, phonies, phoneys, phonied, phonying

Derived words: phonily (adverb), phoniness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Phony

perhaps alteration of fawney gilded brass ring used in the fawney rig, a confidence game, from Irish fáinne ring, from Old Irish ánne anus

First known use: 1889

Words & Phrases Containing Phony

-phony, phony-baloney

Frequently Asked Questions about Phony

What does "Phony" mean?

"Phony" means not genuine or real. As an an adjective, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: not genuine or real. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Phony"?

Other words for "Phony" include bogus, counterfeit, fake, false, forged, inauthentic, sham and snide. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Phony" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Phony"?

There are 184 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Phony". Common alternatives include bogus, counterfeit, fake, false, forged, inauthentic, sham, snide, spurious and unauthentic.

What is the opposite of "Phony"?

Antonyms of "Phony" include authentic, bona fide, genuine, real, unfaked, artless, natural and spontaneous. Near antonyms include actual, true, valid and realistic.

How do you use "Phony" in a sentence?

Examples of "Phony" in a sentence: "a phony watch with a designer logo"; "she always has this phony smile just before she betrays you"; "her concern for our welfare is as phony as all get-out—she just wants to know our business".

Is "Phony" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Phony" can be used as an adjective, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Phony"?

"Phony" is pronounced /ˈfō-nē/ and divided into syllables as pho·ny.

What is the origin of the word "Phony"?

"Phony" comes from perhaps alteration of fawney gilded brass ring used in the fawney rig, a confidence game, from Irish fáinne ring, from Old Irish ánne anus. First known use: 1889.