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

The majority of the factory had been converted during the late war years to manufacture the ersatz coffee, made of roasted grain, sugar beet shavings, and chicory, which was drunk by the American POWs and ordinary Dresdeners as well. — Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026

Despite being trained on the glorious quirks of humankind’s creative canon, the models push our ersatz artistic output into a bland, muddled middle ground. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2026

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

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