sham
81
6.1
- noun
- /ʃæm/
- Offensive
- She realized that his friendly demeanor was a mere sham, hiding his true intentions.
- a sham treatment
- a sham patient
- active or sham
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Watch on YouTubeIt is one big sort of sham there is.
- It is one big sort of sham there is.
- Like, I knew that these people were like, there were shams, there were frauds.
- And it's been a con and it's a sham.
- This is not an investment and but it's clearly not a sham either because they told us so.
- Those words and phrases are such a sham.
- She always understood that her world, for all its great immensity, was a sham.
- And I was, you know, I was like, oh, this guy is probably a sham.
- I can't read their mind, obviously, but I will say that the retraction was a sham.
- The Alamo Drafthouse is a freaking sham.
- People saying that their upgrades or flights or hotel stays with points are quote free is a sham.
Examples
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The company's promise of a great deal turned out to be a sham, leaving customers frustrated and disappointed.
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The policy of liberation was a strategic sham, designed to a significant degree for domestic political reasons.
Academic text (1992) -
- It was all a sham.
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But, marriage is a sham.
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This wedding is a sham and I'm here to stop it.
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Capitalist democracy is real for the capitalists, but a sham for the working people.
Academic text (1990) -
Great PR for Ramseys, but it was a gigantic sham that pretty much gave him nothing of value.
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It's so disappointing to see Annette's manifesto was a total sham.
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It is a sham, a fraud, that undermines the efforts of real colleges everywhere, and I invite you to confirm that with the State Board of Accreditation.
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Many believed the politician's charity was just a sham to gain public favor.
Synonyms
160
4.4
A person who pretends to be something they are not to trick others
65
3.7
A person who pretends to be someone they are not
50
5.1
A person who pretends to be someone else to trick people
41
5.1
A person who pretends to be someone else to trick people and get money or other benefits
39
8.6
A person who pretends to be someone they are not
15
5.2
A person who pretends to be someone else or lies to trick people
7
7.4
A person who lies about their job or skills to trick people
A person who pretends to be someone else to trick people
Something made to look real but is not genuine
A person who pretends to know a lot to impress others
Antonyms
Compounds
How Genuine
Surface Forms
Etymology
Sham probably comes from an older informal English word for a 'trick' or 'pretend' thing used since the 1700s. Think of a sham as something that only looks real but is false, which is why a sham is a fake.