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

The smooth faux leather gives them a polished look, which can instantly dress up an outfit more than sneakers would. —Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026

Bellegarde is a knitwear designer, but here applies her joyful textile work to functional objects for the home, using faux fur yarns. —Francesca Perry, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026

The concept gives loft to the on-the-fly punchlines and cheery, faux-sponsorships for razors and laundry detergent — all of them built off of pre-show audience suggestions. —John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026

Clear coatings, faux corduroy indigo and a 4×4 right-hand twill modeled after a Swiss miliary wool fabric were among the novelties. —Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 22 Apr. 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
• 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