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Definition of phoney - 4 dictionary results

pho⋅ney

  [foh-nee] adjective, -ni⋅er, -ni⋅est, noun, plural -neys, verb (used with object), -neyed, -ney⋅ing.
Use phoney in a Sentence
phony.
Related forms:
pho⋅ney⋅ness, noun

pho⋅ny

  [foh-nee] adjective, -ni⋅er, -ni⋅est, noun, plural -nies, verb, -nied, -ny⋅ing.
–adjective
1. not real or genuine; fake; counterfeit: a phony diamond.
2. false or deceiving; not truthful; concocted: a phony explanation.
3. insincere or deceitful; affected or pretentious: a phony sales representative.
–noun
4. something that is phony; a counterfeit or fake.
5. an insincere, pretentious, or deceitful person: He thought my friends were a bunch of phonies.
–verb (used with object)
6. to falsify; counterfeit; fabricate (often fol. by up): to phony up a document.
Also, phoney.

Origin:
1895–1900; perh. alter. and resp. of fawney (slang) finger ring (< Ir fsptáinne), if taken to mean “false” in the phrase fawney rig a confidence game in which a brass ring is sold as a gold one

Related forms:
pho⋅ni⋅ly, adverb
pho⋅ni⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
4. fraud, imitation, hoax.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To phoney
pho·ney   (fō'nē)   
adj.   & n.
Variant of phony.
pho·ny also pho·ney   (fō'nē)   
adj.   pho·ni·er, pho·ni·est
    1. Not genuine or real; counterfeit: a phony credit card.
    2. False; spurious: a phony name.
    3. Insincere or hypocritical.
    4. Giving a false impression of truth or authenticity; specious.
  2. Not honest or truthful; deceptive: a phony excuse.
    1. Insincere or hypocritical.
    2. Giving a false impression of truth or authenticity; specious.
n.   pl. pho·nies also pho·neys
  1. Something not genuine; a fake.
    1. One who is insincere or pretentious.
    2. An impostor; a hypocrite.

[Alteration of fawney, gilt brass ring used by swindlers, from Irish Gaelic fáinne, ring, from Old Irish.]
pho'ni·ly adv., pho'ni·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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