faux

adjective

ˈfō 

: not real or genuine: such as

a

: made to look like something else that is usually more valuable : imitation, fake

faux leather/fur

a string of faux pearls

… faux is the French word for fake, but it's a very chic fake. Faux marble, for example, is found in the best of homes.

—Sylvia Sachs

b

: not sincere

a show of faux [=feigned] concern

On Monday the CEO dusted off a version of the "I'm sorry if I offended you" faux apology used when people really mean, "I'm sorry I got caught."

—The East Bay (California) Times

Synonyms of faux

• synthetic
• fake
• simulated
• artificial
• imitation
• dummy
• false
• mock

Examples of faux in a Sentence

even the celebrity interior designer was fooled by the faux marble

Recent Examples on the Web

And new sound work of his features in La Caverne du Pont Neuf, a public art installation in Paris for which JR wrapped the oldest bridge in Paris in a faux-rocky-looking fabric in tribute to a previous artwork by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. —Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 8 June 2026

The same can be said for faux flowers. —Lauren Jones, Southern Living, 8 June 2026

Plastic chairs can be smooth or have a faux woodgrain finish. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 4 June 2026

Everyone in the community center put down their faux salads to stare at us. —Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, false

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing faux

• faux-hawk
• faux-naïf
• faux-naif
• faux pas

Rhymes for faux

• beau
• beaut
• beaux
• blow
• bro
• coe
• crow
• doe
• doh
• dough
• eau
• eaux

Kids Definition

faux

adjective

ˈfō 

: imitation entry 2

faux marble

Etymology

from French, "false," from Latin falsus