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counterfeit

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of counterfeit

1 being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
  • counterfeit currency that had been passed all over town
Synonyms of counterfeit

bogus, fake, false, forged, inauthentic, phony (also phoney), sham, spurious, unauthentic
Words Related to counterfeit

artificial, factitious, imitation, man-made, mimic, mock, simulated, substitute, synthetic

dummy, nonfunctioning, ornamental

cultured, fabricated, manufactured

deceptive, delusive, misleading
Near Antonyms of counterfeit

natural

actual, true, valid
Antonyms of counterfeit

authentic, bona fide, genuine, real, unfaked
2 not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
  • When it comes to the poor, his compassion is so counterfeit.
Synonyms of counterfeit

artificial, backhanded, double, double-dealing, double-faced, fake, feigned, hypocritical, insincere, left-handed, lip, mealy, mealymouthed, phony (also phoney), pretended, two-faced, unctuous
Words Related to counterfeit

affected, assumed, claptrap, contrived, forced, mechanical, put-on, simulated, strained, unnatural

empty, hollow, meaningless

deceitful, devious, dishonest, false, untruthful

facile, glib, superficial

bogus, sham

facetious, jocular, tongue-in-cheek

canting, pharisaical, pious, sanctimonious, self-righteous, simon-pure
Near Antonyms of counterfeit

direct, forthright, frank, heart-to-heart, open, plain, straightforward
Antonyms of counterfeit

artless, candid, genuine, heartfelt, honest, sincere, undesigning, unfeigned

counterfeit

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of counterfeit

an imitation that is passed off as genuine
  • The will as well as the other documents turned out to be counterfeits.
Synonyms of counterfeit

fake, forgery, hoax, humbug, phony (also phoney), sham
Words Related to counterfeit

copycat, knockoff

copy, facsimile, replica, reproduction

dummy, mock-up

fraud, gaff, imposture, spoof, swindle

simulation, synthetic
Near Antonyms of counterfeit

original

Synonym Discussion of counterfeit

imposture, fraud, sham, fake, humbug, counterfeit mean a thing made to seem other than it is. imposture applies to any situation in which a spurious object or performance is passed off as genuine.
    • their claim of environmental concern is an imposture
fraud usually implies a deliberate perversion of the truth.
    • the diary was exposed as a fraud
sham applies to fraudulent imitation of a real thing or action.
    • condemned the election as a sham
fake implies an imitation of or substitution for the genuine but does not necessarily imply dishonesty.
    • these jewels are fakes; the real ones are in the vault
humbug suggests elaborate pretense usually so flagrant as to be transparent.
    • creating publicity by foisting humbugs on a gullible public
counterfeit applies especially to the close imitation of something valuable.
    • 20-dollar bills that were counterfeits

counterfeit

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of counterfeit

1 to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive
  • an expert at counterfeiting money
Synonyms of counterfeit

fake, forge, phony
Words Related to counterfeit

simulate

duplicate, reduplicate, replicate, reproduce

crib, plagiarize

adulterate, doctor, fudge, juggle, manipulate, tamper (with)

concoct, cook (up), fabricate, invent
2 to present a false appearance of
  • managing to counterfeit a happy expression while visiting a sick friend
Synonyms of counterfeit

act, affect, assume, bluff, dissemble, fake, feign, pass (for), pretend, profess, put on, sham, simulate
Words Related to counterfeit

dissimulate, impersonate, let on, masquerade, play, playact, pose

forge, imitate

camouflage, conceal, disguise, mask

feint

malinger
Phrases Synonymous with counterfeit

make believe

Synonym Discussion of counterfeit

assume, affect, pretend, simulate, feign, counterfeit, sham mean to put on a false or deceptive appearance. assume often implies a justifiable motive rather than an intent to deceive.
    • assumed an air of cheerfulness around the patients
affect implies making a false show of possessing, using, or feeling.
    • affected an interest in art
pretend implies an overt and sustained false appearance.
    • pretended that nothing had happened
simulate suggests a close imitation of the appearance of something.
    • cosmetics that simulate a suntan
feign implies more artful invention than pretend, less specific mimicry than simulate.
    • feigned sickness
counterfeit implies achieving the highest degree of verisimilitude of any of these words.
    • an actor counterfeiting drunkenness
sham implies an obvious falseness that fools only the gullible.
    • shammed a most unconvincing limp

Learn More about counterfeit

  1. See words that rhyme with counterfeit Dictionary: Definition of counterfeit Spanish Central: Translation of counterfeit Nglish: Translation of counterfeit for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of counterfeit for Arabic speakers

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