adjective
- not genuine or real; fake or fraudulent
- insincere or pretending to be something one is not
Usage: informal
Usage: informal
noun
- a person who is not genuine or sincere; a fraud
Usage: informal
Examples
- The police discovered the phony passport at the airport.
- She gave me a phony smile and walked away.
- That designer handbag is obviously phony.
- His phony accent fooled no one at the party.
- Don’t trust him – he’s a complete phony.
- The phony charity collected thousands of dollars illegally.
- Her phony concern for others was transparent.