variants:
or less commonly phoney
phonier; phoniest
Definition of phony
(Entry 1 of 4)
: 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
e
: making a false show: such as
(1)
: hypocritical
(2)
: specious
has a phony poetic elegance — New Republic
phony
noun
variants:
or less commonly phoney
plural phonies also phoneys
Definition of phony (Entry 2 of 4)
: one that is phony
phony
verb
phonied; phonying
Definition of phony (Entry 3 of 4)
: counterfeit, fake
—often used with up a paper phonied up on the spur of the moment— William Faulkner
-phony
noun combining form
variants:
or less commonly -phonia
Definition of -phony (Entry 4 of 4)
1
: sound
telephony
2
usually -phonia
: speech disorder of a (specified) type
dysphonia
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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The first known use of phony was in 1889
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