Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Not genuine; false or fake: Used to describe something that is intended to deceive by appearing to be real or sincere.
   • Pretended; feigned: Used to describe an emotion, quality, or action that is not authentic.

2. Noun:

   • A person who pretends to be something they are not: Someone who makes deceitful claims or appearances.
   • A thing that is not genuine; a counterfeit: Something that is a false imitation of the real thing.
   • A pretense or fraud: The act or instance of pretending or deceiving.

3. Verb:

   • To pretend or feign: To act in a false or deceptive way.
   • To put on a false appearance of: To imitate something deceptively.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:

  • The company was accused of selling sham products.
  • He showed sham concern for his colleague's problems.

• Noun:

  • The spiritual guru was exposed as a sham.
  • The peace talks were a complete sham, designed for publicity.

• Verb:

  • He shammed illness to avoid the exam.
  • She shammed interest in the conversation.

Advanced Usage

• "Sham marriage": A marriage entered into for fraudulent purposes, such as to gain legal status, without the intent of a genuine relationship.

  • The immigration authorities investigated the couple for a sham marriage.

• "Sham transaction": A business or financial deal that is not genuine, often used to conceal the true nature of an activity.

  • The court ruled the contract was a sham transaction to avoid taxes.

Variants and Related Words

• Shammer (n): A person who shams; a fraud.

  • The so-called expert was revealed to be a shammer.

• Shammy (n): (Informal, different meaning) A soft leather, typically chamois leather, used for cleaning. (Note: This is a homophone with a different etymology and is not a variant of the deceptive 'sham').

Synonyms

• Adjective: Fake, false, bogus, counterfeit, pretended, feigned, spurious.
• Noun: Fraud, fake, impostor, hoax, pretence, counterfeit.
• Verb: Feign, pretend, fake, simulate, put on.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: 'Sham' is not commonly used with particles to form phrasal verbs. Its usage is typically as a standalone verb, noun, or adjective.)

Related Idioms

• "A sham and a delusion": Something that is completely false and misleading.

  • The trial was denounced as a sham and a delusion.

• "Sham attack" / "Sham battle": A mock or practice military engagement.

  • The troops conducted a sham battle as part of their training exercises.

Adjective

1. adopted in order to deceive
   • an assumed name
   • an assumed cheerfulness
   • a fictitious address
   • fictive sympathy
   • a pretended interest
   • a put-on childish voice
   • sham modesty

Noun

1. a person who makes deceitful pretenses
2. something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be

Verb

1. make believe with the intent to deceive
   • He feigned that he was ill
   • He shammed a headache
2. make a pretence of
   • She assumed indifference, even though she was seething with anger
   • he feigned sleep