The corporation set up a dummy company.
Source: tatoeba (48848)
Dummy
/ˈdʌmi/
Synonyms for "dummy" (448 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (90)
a nobodya nothingaceadherentadvocateaffectedagentalter egoalternatealternativeamicus curiaeanalogyancillaapocryphalapplianceartificialassassumedattorneybackup
Show 61 more words
backup manbastardbest bowerblockblockheadboeotianbogusbowerbrummagemburlesquebustcardcardscarvingchampionchangechangelingcharlie mccarthycheatcipherclay modelclinquantclodclubscold typecold-type typesettingcolorablecoloredcommon mancomparisoncomposingcomposing stickcompositioncomputerized typesettingcontrivancecopycounterfeitcounterfeitedcreaturedeaf mutedeaf-mutedeckdeputydeucedevicediamonddiamondsdimwitdiscipledistorteddododolldollydoltdonkeydopedoubledressed upduddullarddullhead
Strong matches (134)
dumb cluckdumbbelldummkopfduncedupeduplicationembellishedembroideredequalequivalentersatzexchangeexecutive officerexponentface cardsfacsimilefactitiousfakefakedfakement
Show 98 more words
falsefalsifiedfantoccinifeignedfictitiousfictivefigurefigureheadfigurinefill-inflash in the panflunkyflushfollowerfoolforgeryframe upframe-upfraudfrontfront manfull housefurnituregalley chasegarbledghostghostwritergilliegingerbread mango betweengo-betweengoongowkhandhandmaidhandmaidenhanger onhanger-onheartshenchmanhoaxhollow manhot-metal typesettingidiotignoramusillegitimateimitationimplementimpositionimpostorinsignificancyinstrumentinteragentintermediaryintermediateintermediumintertypejackjackaljackstrawjobbernowljokerjunkjunkyjustificationkingknaveknockoffknow nothinglackeylackwitlamebrainlay figurelayoutleft bowerleverlieutenantlightweightlikenessline of typelinotypelittle fellowlittle guylocumlocum tenensloobyloonmake believemake-believemakeshiftmanman in the streetman mademan of strawman-mademanikinmannequinmannikin
Noun(14 words)
Verb(1 words)
dummy up
Adjective(1 words)
fictional character
Related words (224)
marionettemechanismmediatormediocritymediummetaphormetonymymidwifeminionmockmock upmock-upmodelmonotypemonumentmoronmutemyrmidonnebbishnext best thing
Show 186 more words
niaisnincompoopninnyninnyhammernitwitnobodynobody one knowsnoddynominal headnonentitynothingnullitynumskullobscurityorganpacifierpackpairparanymphparaphraseparodypastepawnpersonnelpervertedphonyphotocompositionphotosettingphototypesetterphototypesetting machinepicture cardspilot modelpinchpinch hitterpinchbeckpip squeakpip-squeakplaying cardsplaythingpleaderportrait bustpretendedprocuratorprovisionalproxypseudopumpkin headpunkpuppetpushoverputput onput up jobput-onput-up jobquasiqueenqueerquoinreliefreplacementreplicarepresentationrepresentativereprintreproductionreservereservesringerrip offrip-offroundroyal flushrubberruffruntsamplesatellitescarecrowscrubsculpturesecond in commandsecond stringsecondaryself-styledservantsettingshamshoddyshrimpsignsillysimpletonsimulacrumsimulatedsimulationsingletonslaveslugsmall frysmall potatosmall potatoessnowmanso calledso-calledsoi-disantspadespadessparesparesspurioussquirtsquitstand instand-instatuarystatuestatuettestoogestopgapstraightstupidsubsubstituentsubstitutesubstitutionsuccedaneumsupersedersupplantersupposititioussurrogateswindlesycophantsymbolsynecdochesynthetictemporarytentativethickwitthing of naughtthird stringthugtintinseltitivatedtokentooltoytravestytreytricktrifletrumptwistedtypesettingtypesetting machineunauthenticunderstudyungenuineunnaturalunrealutilityutility manutility playervehicleversionvicarvicar generalvicariousvicevice presidentvice-presidentvice-regentvicegerentvotarywarpedwax figurewaxworkwhiffetwhippersnapperwhited sepulcherwitlingwood carvingwood modelyes-manzero
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: a nobody, a nothing, abc, ace, adherent.
- Sentence evidence is available for dummy, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "dummy".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "dummy"
Keep "dummy" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "dummy" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "dummy", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "dummy" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
15 entriesMore specific
15 entriesCollocations
9 entriescrash test dummydummy datadummy devicedummy loaddummy modeldummy textdummy variablelife sized dummytraining dummy
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriessimilar
2 entriesTranslations
9 translations across 9 languages.
Bulgarian
1 entries- мор noun (bridge: the partner of the winning bidder, who shows his or her hand)
Finnish
1 entries- lepääjä noun (bridge: the partner of the winning bidder, who shows his or her hand)
French
1 entries- mort noun (bridge: the partner of the winning bidder, who shows his or her hand)
Irish
1 entries- balbhán noun (bridge: the partner of the winning bidder, who shows his or her hand)
Italian
1 entries- morto noun (bridge: the partner of the winning bidder, who shows his or her hand)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- blindemann noun (bridge: the partner of the winning bidder, who shows his or her hand)
Polish
1 entries- dziadek noun (bridge: the partner of the winning bidder, who shows his or her hand)
Russian
1 entries- болва́н noun (bridge: the partner of the winning bidder, who shows his or her hand)
Spanish
1 entries- muerto noun (bridge: the partner of the winning bidder, who shows his or her hand)
Sample sentences
31 total sentences available.
"h" is a dummy variable.
Source: tatoeba (858689)
He made a crash test dummy of himself.
Source: tatoeba (1521105)
Tom is a dummy.
Source: tatoeba (2272793)
Showing 4 of 31 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "dummy"?
Closest matches include a nobody, a nothing, abc, ace, adherent.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "dummy"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.