Synonyms of ersatz

ersatz

adjective

ˈer-ˌsäts 

as in faux

being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials

like everything else the restaurant served, the whipped cream on the dessert was ersatz

Synonyms & Similar Words

• faux
• synthetic
• fake
• artificial
• simulated
• imitation
• dummy
• false
• imitative
• mock
• substitute
• manufactured
• factitious
• bogus
• counterfeit
• mimic
• sham
• pretend
• designer
• man-made
• process
• cultured
• pseudo
• deceptive
• engineered
• forged
• unauthentic
• manipulated
• fabricated
• adulterated
• phony
• concocted
• fraudulent
• misleading
• feigned
• doctored
• spurious
• fudged
• pinchbeck
• juggled
• affected
• tampered (with)
• brummagem

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• real
• genuine
• natural
• true
• legitimate
• authentic
• valuable
• bona fide
• pure
• quality
• premium
• unadulterated

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ersatz

That ersatz advertisement became real in 2010’s Machete (which reunited Trejo with Heat co-star Robert De Niro) and its 2013 sequel, Machete Kills. — Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Strung-up nets drip with ersatz fish and nautical paraphernalia, and the sunny interior with colorful highlights echoes coastal Mediterranean architecture. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 2 June 2026

Across the street from the former Goldwyn Studio, this boxy red bar with an ersatz Chinese interior has been a favorite drinking spot for decades. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2026

In He Bled Neon, the ersatz A24-ish motions are gone through and that’s about it, a limp endeavor to do something with a soggy, banal script. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026

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