Phony: meaning, definitions and examples

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phony

[ ˈfoʊni ]

^{Context #1}

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}

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:

🇵🇹 falso

🇮🇳 झूठा

🇩🇪 falsch

🇮🇩 palsu

🇺🇦 фальшивий

🇵🇱 fałszywy

🇯🇵 偽物

🇫🇷 faux

🇪🇸 falso

🇹🇷 sahte

🇰🇷 가짜의

🇸🇦 مزيف

🇨🇿 falešný

🇸🇰 falošný

🇨🇳 假的

🇸🇮 ponarejen

🇮🇸 falskur

🇰🇿 жалған

🇬🇪 ყალბი

🇦🇿 saxta

🇲🇽 falso

Word origin

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.