What does "sham" mean?
A fake; an imitation that purports to be genuine.
Sham
/ʃæm/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A fake; an imitation that purports to be genuine.
- Grammar: sham is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: fake, fraud, act, act a part.
- Useful contrasts: genuine, real, sincere.
- Usage evidence: The Bermuda Triangle is a sham.
How to use "sham"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sham" 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 "sham" 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 "sham" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sham" 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 "sham" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang 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 "fake" 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 "sham", 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 A fake; an imitation that purports to be genuine. countable, uncountable
"The time-share deal was a sham."
- 2 Clipping of champagne. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, slang, uncountable
"So I orders a bottle, as if for myself; and, ‘Ma’am, says I, ‘will you take a glass of Sham—just one?’"
- 3 something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be wordnet
- 4 Trickery, hoaxing. countable, uncountable
"A con-man must be skilled in the arts of sham and deceit."
- 5 a person who makes deceitful pretenses wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A false front, or removable ornamental covering. countable, uncountable
- 7 A decorative cover for a pillow. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To deceive, cheat, lie.
"they find themſelves Fool'd and Shamm'd (as we ſay) into a Conviction."
- 2 make believe with the intent to deceive wordnet
- 3 To obtrude by fraud or imposition.
"But we muſt have a care all this while, not to […] Sham Fallacyes upon the World for Current Reaſon"
- 4 make a pretence of wordnet
- 5 To assume the manner and character of; to imitate; to ape; to feign.
Adjective
- 1 Intended to deceive; false.
"It was only a sham wedding: they didn't care much for one another, but wanted their parents to stop hassling them."
- 2 Counterfeit; unreal.
"For this young lady was not able to carry out any emotion to the full; but had a sham enthusiasm, a sham hatred, a sham love, a sham taste, a sham grief, each of which flared and shone very vehemently for an instant, but subsided and gave place to the next sham emotion."
Adjective
- 1 adopted in order to deceive wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The Bermuda Triangle is a sham."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sham"?
Common synonyms include: fake, fraud, act, act a part, acting, adulterated.
How do you use "sham" in a sentence?
The Bermuda Triangle is a sham.
How do you pronounce "sham"?
Pronounced /ʃæm/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Probably a dialectal form of shame. Alternatively, sham is a term that is used to describe the bottom thick base of a glass, usually a wine or stem glass, where the stem meets the bulbous shape bowl. Glass manufacturers would increase the "sham" to deceive customers into thinking a glass holds more than it actually does. For example, a manufacturer would mold a 12oz glass with a larger "sham" in the base to reduce the volume of the glasses to fit 10-11oz of liquid. By increasing the bulge in the base, usually where the stem meets the glass, it is almost impossible to visually distinguish the difference. This gives the illusion the glass size is the same as any another 12oz glass, but the inside will hold a lesser volume. Later, bringing use to the term "you got shammed" when one party tries to hide something and/or get over on the other party using deceiving tactics.
Etymology 2
It could be from Arabic شَام (šām, literally “Syria”), from which it spread also to Gujarat. Perhaps also an altered spelling of French Cham.