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

This leather case has four necklace hooks with pockets for storing chains, six holes for earrings, and a faux suede interior that’s treated to prevent tarnishing. —Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025

The open-concept kitchen flows into a family room with faux vegetation that accents the ceiling. —Ray Parisi, CNBC, 17 Nov. 2025

The slipper has a slip-on silhouette with faux shearling. —Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 17 Nov. 2025

The original was a faux-Scorsese urban-decay drama, and this was a … surreal semi-musical about mental illness. —Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025

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
• beaux
• blow
• boe
• 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