variants
or chiefly British phoney
phonier; phoniest
informal
1
: not true, real, or genuine : intended to make someone think something that is not true
He gave a phony name to the police. = The name he gave the police was phony.
a phony [=(more commonly) counterfeit] $100 bill
She's been talking in a phony [=fake] Irish accent all day.
2
of a person
: not honest or sincere : saying things that are meant to deceive people
phony politicians
variants
or chiefly British phoney
plural phonies
informal
1
: a person who pretends to be someone else or to have feelings or abilities that he or she does not really have : a person who is not sincere
According to him, politics is full of phonies.
I don't think she ever meant to help us. What a phony!
2
: something that is not real or genuine
The painting is a phony. [=fake]
Cite this Entry
“Phony.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/phony. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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