phony
word
/ˈfoʊni/
FOH-nee
/fˈəʊni/
FOH-nee
Definition
Not real, honest, or genuine. It can describe a fake object, document, or excuse, and it is also often used for a person who seems insincere or pretends to be something they are not.
Usage & Nuances
Common in informal English, especially American English. Very often used for people ('He’s so phony') and for fake excuses or documents. For objects, 'fake' is usually more common; for people, 'phony' often suggests insincerity, not just falseness.
Spanish: falso - fraudulentoPortuguese (BR): falso - de mentiraPortuguese (PT): falso - fingidoChinese (Simplified): 假的 - 欺诈的Chinese (Traditional): 假的 - 欺詐的Hindi: नकली - झूठाArabic: مزيف - زائفBengali: ভুয়া - ছদ্ম - মেকিRussian: фальшивый - притворный - поддельныйJapanese: 偽物 - うわべだけの - にせのVietnamese: giả tạo - giả mạoKorean: 가짜 - 허위의 - 거짓된Turkish: sahte - yapmacıkUrdu: جعلی - کھوکھلا - بناوٹیIndonesian: palsu - pura-pura
Example Sentences
The watch is phony.
basic
That excuse sounds phony.
basic
I don’t trust him. He seems phony.
basic
The website looked phony, so I didn’t enter my card details.
natural
She’s nice to your face, but the whole thing feels phony to me.
natural
He gave us some phony story about losing his phone again.
natural