Synonyms of veneer

veneer 1 of 2

noun

və-ˈnir 

1

as in facade

a deceptively attractive external appearance

the veneer of civility that the neighbors had maintained over the years disappeared with the filing of the first lawsuit

Synonyms & Similar Words

• facade
• gloss
• window dressing
• tinsel
• fluff
• semblance
• masquerade
• pose
• charade
• front
• cotton candy
• show
• guise
• fig leaf

2

as in exterior

an outer part or layer

the top and sides of the desk are overlaid with cherry veneers, while the interior wood is white pine

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exterior
• surface
• facade
• front
• skin
• shell
• top
• face
• outside
• facing
• appearance
• mask
• cover
• covering
• show
• semblance
• disguise
• guise

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• interior
• inside

veneer

2 of 2

verb

as in to coat

Related Words

• coat
• varnish
• finish
• glaze
• face
• lacquer
• slick
• sand
• sleek
• gloss
• brighten
• japan
• file
• scrub
• bone
• polish
• scrape
• sandpaper
• shine
• scour
• smooth
• sandblast
• rub
• burnish
• buff
• rasp
• furbish
• bob
• dress
• lap
• grind
• smoothen

Dissimilar Words

• ruffle
• roughen
• rough (up)
• scuff (up)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of veneer

Noun

The gold standard for veneers is porcelain, a glass-like material that ceramicists shape layer by layer. — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 7 Aug. 2026

But Donovan shows us the calculation, verging on disingenuousness, beneath Meyers’s lofty, earnest veneer. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026

Verb

Even crime in Orange County has been sensationalized and glamorized, with themes veneered by opulence, secrecy and illusions of suburban perfection. — Costa Beavin Pappas, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2026

Your table is almost certainly veneered, meaning that the top has a thin layer of beautiful wood glued to a base material, which could be plywood or particleboard. — Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2023