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Definition of Sham in English :

Define Sham in English

Sham meaning in English

Meaning of Sham in English

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Sham

see synonyms of sham

Noun

1. fake, postiche, sham

something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be

2. fake, faker, fraud, imposter, impostor, pretender, pseud, pseudo, role player, sham, shammer

a person who makes deceitful pretenses

Verb

3. assume, feign, sham, simulate

make a pretence of

Example Sentences:
'She assumed indifference, even though she was seething with anger'
'he feigned sleep'

4. affect, dissemble, feign, pretend, sham

make believe with the intent to deceive

Example Sentences:
'He feigned that he was ill'
'He shammed a headache'

Adjective

5. assumed, false, fictitious, fictive, pretended, put on, sham

adopted in order to deceive

Example Sentences:
'an assumed name'
'an assumed cheerfulness'
'a fictitious address'
'fictive sympathy'
'a pretended interest'
'a put-on childish voice'
'sham modesty'

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Sham

see synonyms of sham
noun
1. 
anything that is not what it purports or appears to be
2. 
something false, fake, or fictitious that purports to be genuine
3. 
a person who pretends to be something other than he or she is
adjective
4. 
counterfeit or false; simulated
verbWord forms: shams, shamming or shammed
5. 
to falsely assume the appearance of (something); counterfeit
to sham illness

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Sham

see synonyms of sham
noun
1.  Obsolete
a trick or fraud
2. 
a. 
an imitation that is meant to deceive; counterfeit
b. 
a hypocritical action, deceptive appearance, etc.
3. 
a person who is not what he or she pretends to be; fraud; impostor
4.  US
pillow sham
adjective
5. 
not genuine or real; false, counterfeit, pretended, etc.
verb transitiveWord forms: shammed or ˈshamming
6. 
to be or make an imitation or false show of; counterfeit
verb intransitive
7. 
to pretend to be what one is not

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Sham

see synonyms of sham
n.
1.
a. Something false or empty that is purported to be genuine: "Because she had been so readily unfaithful, her marriage was a sham" (Alice Munro).
b. Deceitfulness or pretense: "She saw herself as a person surrounded by, living by, sham" (Alice Munro).
c. One who claims to be what he or she is not; an impostor or fraud: "He a man! Hell! He was a hollow sham!" (Joseph Conrad).
2. A decorative cover for a pillow.
adj.
Not genuine; fake: sham diamonds; sham modesty.
v. shammed, sham·ming, shams
v.tr.
To put on the false appearance of; feign: "shamming insanity to get his tormentors to leave him alone" (John Wain).
v.intr.
To assume a false appearance or character; dissemble.

The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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