What does "fake" mean?
Something which is not genuine, or is presented fraudulently.
Fake
/feɪ̯k/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Something which is not genuine, or is presented fraudulently.
- Grammar: fake is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: impostor, pretender, sham, act.
- Useful contrasts: genuine, real, actual.
- Usage evidence: She was taken in by that fake gold certificate scandal and lost most of her money.
How to use "fake"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "fake" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "fake" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "fake" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "fake" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "fake" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "impostor" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "fake", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Something which is not genuine, or is presented fraudulently.
"I suspect this passport is a fake."
- 2 One of the circles or windings of a cable or hawser, as it lies in a coil; a single turn or coil.
- 3 (football) a deceptive move made by a football player wordnet
- 4 A move meant to deceive an opposing player, used for gaining advantage for example when dribbling an opponent.
- 5 something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A trick; a swindle archaic
- 7 a person who makes deceitful pretenses wordnet
Verb
- 1 To make a counterfeit, to counterfeit, to forge, to falsify. transitive
- 2 To coil (a rope, line, or hawser), by winding alternately in opposite directions, in layers usually of zigzag or figure of eight form, to prevent twisting when running out.
- 3 speak insincerely or without regard for facts or truths wordnet
- 4 To make a false display of, to affect, to feign, to simulate. transitive
"to fake a marriage"
- 5 make a copy of with the intent to deceive wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 To cheat; to swindle; to steal; to rob. archaic
- 7 tamper, with the purpose of deception wordnet
- 8 To modify fraudulently, so as to make an object appear better or other than it really is archaic
"He had a hundred similar tricks, but I never knew him fake a horse, or sell one as sound if it was not."
- 9 To improvise, in jazz. ambitransitive
"Occasionally the opportunity arises to stand up and "fake" a jazz standard."
Adjective
- 1 Not real; false, fraudulent.
"Which fur coat looks fake?"
- 2 Insincere
Adjective
- 1 fraudulent; having a misleading appearance wordnet
- 2 not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"She was taken in by that fake gold certificate scandal and lost most of her money."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "fake"?
Common synonyms include: impostor, pretender, sham, act, act a part, act like.
How do you use "fake" in a sentence?
She was taken in by that fake gold certificate scandal and lost most of her money.
How do you pronounce "fake"?
Pronounced /feɪ̯k/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
The origin is not known with certainty, although first attested in 1775 C.E. in British criminals' slang. It is probably from feak, feague (“to give a better appearance through artificial means, spruce up, embellish”), itself from German Low German fegen, from Middle Low German vēgen, from Old Saxon fegōn, from Proto-West Germanic *fegōn (“to clean up, polish”). Akin to Dutch veeg (“a swipe”), Dutch vegen (“to sweep, wipe”); German fegen (“to sweep, to polish”). Compare also Old English fācn (“deceit, fraud”). Perhaps related also to Old Norse fjúka (“to fade, vanquish, disappear”), Old Norse feikn (“strange, scary, unnatural”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English faken (“to coil a rope”).