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Phony: meaning, definitions and examples

๐ŸŽญ
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phony

 

[ หˆfoสŠni ]

Adjective / Noun
Context #1 | Adjective

informal

Not genuine or real; fake or counterfeit.

Synonyms

bogus, counterfeit, fake, false

Examples of usage

  • He gave me a phony phone number.
  • The company was caught selling phony merchandise.
  • She put on a phony smile to hide her disappointment.
Context #2 | Noun

informal

A fraudulent person or thing.

Synonyms

charlatan, fake, fraud, impostor

Examples of usage

  • The scam artist turned out to be a phony.
  • Don't trust him, he's a phony.

Translations

Translations of the word "phony" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น falso

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคเฅ‚เค เคพ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช falsch

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ palsu

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ั„ะฐะปัŒัˆะธะฒะธะน

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ faล‚szywy

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ๅฝ็‰ฉ

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท faux

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ falso

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท sahte

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๊ฐ€์งœ์˜

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ู…ุฒูŠู

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ faleลกnรฝ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ faloลกnรฝ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๅ‡็š„

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ ponarejen

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ falskur

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะถะฐะปา“ะฐะฝ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒงแƒแƒšแƒ‘แƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ saxta

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ falso

Etymology

The word 'phony' originated in the early 20th century as an American slang term, derived from the word 'fawney,' which referred to a gilded brass ring used as a counterfeit coin in the 18th century. Over time, 'phony' came to represent anything that is not genuine or authentic, often used to describe fraudulent individuals or counterfeit goods.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #21,211, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.