phony

1 of 2

adjective

pho·​ny ˈfō-nē 

variants or less commonly phoney

phonier; phoniest

: not genuine or real: such as

a(1)

: intended to deceive or mislead

(2)

: intended to defraud : counterfeit

b

: arousing suspicion : probably dishonest

something phony about the story

c

: having no basis in fact : fictitious

phony publicity stories

d

: false, sham

a phony name

e

: making a false show: such as

(1)

: hypocritical

(2)

: specious

… has a phony poetic elegance …

—Manny Farber

phonily

ˈfō-ni-lē 

adverb

phoniness

ˈfō-nē-nəs 

noun

phoniness

2 of 2

noun

pho·​ni·​ness

variants or less commonly phonyness

-nēnə̇s

plural -es

: the quality or state of being phony : falsity, spuriousness

describes vicious, idle, and deliriously acquisitive sides of American life—the eccentric cruelties, the lack of standards, the scintillating phoniness

—Alfred Kazin

Did you know?

It's the backstory of phony that deserves our attention. Phony (which dates from the early 1900s) is believed to be an alteration of the British fawney, the word for a gilded brass ring used in a confidence game called the "fawney rig." In this game, the trickster drops a ring (or a purse with some valuables in it) and runs to pick the item up at the same time as the poor sap who notices it on the ground. The trickster asserts that the found treasure should be split between them. The one who's "found" the item, convinced now of its value, chooses instead to give the con artist some money in order to keep the item, which is, of course, phony.

Synonyms of phony

Adjective

• counterfeit
• fake
• false
• forged

Examples of phony in a Sentence

Adjective

a phony watch with a designer logo

she always has this phony smile just before she betrays you

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

There's no shame in finding levity amidst darkness, but there is something unmistakably phony about it here. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 2 June 2026

Some of the scams involve fake court documents or notifications about phony traffic or criminal infractions, according to the sheriff's office. —Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 28 May 2026

Warren has some experience with covering over the past as happened when her phony claim of being a blue-eyed Native American Cherokee descendent blew up. —Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026

Suzanne, seeing perhaps an easy mark, passes herself off as just the person who can grant his wife, and thus begins her phony side hustle. —Pete Hammond, Deadline, 12 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

perhaps alteration of fawney gilded brass ring used in the fawney rig, a confidence game, from Irish fáinne ring, from Old Irish ánne — more at anus

First Known Use

Adjective

1889, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing phony

• phony-baloney

Rhymes for phony

• boney
• boni
• bony
• bunny
• coney
• crony
• funny
• gunny
• honey
• money
• monie
• mony

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Kids Definition

phony

1 of 2 adjective

pho·​ny

variants also phoney

ˈfō-nē 

phonier; phoniest

: not genuine or real: as

a(1)

: intended to deceive or mislead

(2)

: counterfeit entry 2 sense 1

a phony $10 bill

b

: causing suspicion : probably dishonest

sounds like a phony excuse to me

c

: fictitious, false

gave a phony name to the police

phoniness noun

phony

2 of 2 noun

variants also phoney

plural phonies also phoneys

: a phony person or thing