shammer
/'ʃæmə/
Definition
Noun: 1. A person who makes deceitful pretenses: An individual who deliberately acts in a dishonest way to create a false impression or to deceive others. 2. Someone shirking their duty by feigning illness or incapacity: Specifically, a person who avoids work or responsibility by pretending to be sick or unable to perform a task.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The investigator quickly identified the claimant as a shammer who was faking an injury.
- He was known in the office as a shammer, always finding an excuse to avoid difficult assignments.
- The army has strict policies to deal with shammers who pretend to be ill to avoid duty.
Advanced Usage
- Legal/Formal Context: The term can be used in formal reports or legal settings to describe someone engaging in fraudulent behavior, such as insurance fraud or malingering.
- The court dismissed the case after evidence proved the plaintiff was a shammer.
- Colloquial Use: Often used with a tone of disapproval or contempt for someone perceived as lazy or dishonest.
- Don't be such a shammer; get back to work!
Variants and Related Words
- Sham (noun/verb/adjective): Refers to the false act or pretense itself.
- His apology was a complete sham. (noun)
- He tried to sham illness. (verb)
- They set up a sham company. (adjective)
- Malingerer (noun): A more specific synonym, particularly for someone feigning illness.
- Impostor (noun): A person who pretends to be someone else.
Synonyms
- Faker: A person who fakes or counterfeits something.
- Pretender: Someone who claims or pretends to be something they are not.
- Fraud: A person who deceives others for personal gain.
- Malingerer: Someone who exaggerates or feigns illness to avoid duty.
Related Phrases
- To cry wolf: To raise a false alarm, which can lead to being seen as a shammer when a real need arises.
- After pretending to be sick so often, he was seen as a shammer who cried wolf, so no one believed him when he was truly ill.
- To pull a fast one: To deceive someone (informal).
- He tried to pull a fast one by pretending the report was lost, but his boss knew he was just a shammer.
Noun
-
a person who makes deceitful pretenses
-
someone shirking their duty by feigning illness or incapacity
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