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.
SHAM definition: something that is not what it purports to be; a spurious imitation; fraud or hoax. See examples of sham used in a sentence.
Something that is a sham is not real or is not really what it seems to be. The government's promises were exposed as a hollow sham. Many of the world's leaders have already denounced this election as a sham. ...sham marriages. Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers.
Definition of sham noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Something false or empty that is purported to be genuine: "Because she had been so readily unfaithful, her marriage was a sham" (Alice Munro). b. Deceitfulness or pretense: "She saw herself as a person surrounded by, living by, sham" (Alice Munro). c. One who claims to be what he or she is not; an impostor or fraud: "He a man! Hell!
SHAM definition: 1. something that is not what it seems to be and is intended to deceive people, or someone who…. Learn more.
sham (sham), n., adj., v., shammed, sham ming. n. something that is not what it purports to be; a spurious imitation; fraud or hoax. a person who shams; shammer. a cover or the like for giving a thing a different outward appearance: a pillow sham. adj. pretended; counterfeit; feigned: sham attacks; a sham Gothic façade. designed, made, or ...