- phony
- phony (adj.) "not genuine," 1900, phoney, perhaps an alteration of FAWNEY (Cf. fawney) "gilt brass ring used by swindlers." The noun meaning "phony person or thing" is attested from 1902.
Etymology dictionary. 2014.
phony
Look at other dictionaries:
phony — pho ny (f[=o] n[=e]), a. [Also spelled {phoney}.] [Compar. {phonier}; superl. {phoniest}.] 1. imitating something superior; intended to deceive; fraudulent; having a misleading appearance; not genuine; counterfeit; fake; as, a phony diamond; a… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
phony — pho ny (f[=o] n[=e]), n. something or someone that is phony. [Also spelled {phoney}.] [PJC] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
phony — index bogus, fictitious, fraudulent, imitation, specious Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
phony — adj *counterfeit, spurious, bogus, fake, sham, pseudo, pinchbeck … New Dictionary of Synonyms
phony — [adj] fake, false affected, artificial, assumed, bogus, counterfeit, forged, imitation, pseudo, put on*, sham*, spurious, trick; concept 582 Ant. genuine, real, sincere … New thesaurus
-phony — [fə nē, fō′nē] [< Gr phōnē, a sound: see PHONO ] combining form forming nouns a (specified kind of) sound [polyphony] … English World dictionary
phony — ☆ phony [fō′nē ] adj. phonier, phoniest [altered < Brit thieves argot fawney, gilt ring (passed off as gold by swindlers) < Ir fáinne] Informal not genuine; false, counterfeit, spurious, pretentious, etc. n. pl. phonies Informal 1.… … English World dictionary
phony — 1. mod. bogus; fake. □ This money looks phony to me. □ I can’t stand phony vanilla flavoring. 2. n. someone or something bogus. □ That guy is a real phony! □ Look … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
phony — I. adjective also phoney (phonier; est) Etymology: perhaps alteration of fawney gilded brass ring used in the fawney rig, a confidence game, from Irish fáinne ring, from Old Irish ánne more at anus Date: 1900 not genuine or real: as a. (1)… … New Collegiate Dictionary
phony — phonily, adv. phoniness, n. /foh nee/, adj., phonier, phoniest, n., pl. phonies, v., phonied, phonying. adj. 1. not real or genuine; fake; counterfeit: a phony diamond. 2. false or deceiving; not truthful; concocted: a phony explanation. 3.… … Universalium
