ersatz

Examples

• All

• At this point, the ersatz tomatoes and the faux chicken did not appear all that important.

  Academic text (2010)

• Yet, I could have sworn my ersatz companion seemed subtler, warmer, somehow.

  Fiction book (1994)

• It's ersatz, but I always try to make it strong.

  Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

• The War Ministry wanted to use the ersatz units to train replacements for the active and reserve units.

  Academic text (2010)

• Well, Frank was considered by everyone on the strip and all the people in the clubs to be sort of the... I mean, the ersatz Pied Piper of Laurel Canyon.

  Zappa (2020)

• The restaurant served an ersatz version of the famous dish that couldn't compare to the original.

• Many products on the market claim to be organic, but some are just ersatz alternatives.

Synonyms

I

inferior

vsersatz

63 3.7

Not as good in quality as something else

is specifically a replacement product usually seen as lower quality

M

makeshift

vsersatz

56 4.8

Used for a short time when you have no better choice

is usually a lower quality replacement that can be permanent rather than temporary

S

substandard

vsersatz

27 4.4

Not as good as the usual or required quality

is a replacement product that is typically lower quality, not just poor build

S

substitute

vsersatz

5 4.9

Used instead of the real thing

is usually a lower quality replacement rather than a neutral option

Antonyms

O

original

∞ 2.8

Not a copy and existing as the first form

G

genuine

156 3.2

Truly felt and not fake, for example a smile or apology

How Genuine

genuine

203 2.0

ersatz

• Formal

6 9.6

Surface Forms

Etymology