Many words related to deceptive and fake exist, but some have specific senses for distinctive usage. Here are some alternatives to these terms and the related words deceitful and false and their connotations.
1. Assumed: pretended, as in “an assumed name,” referring to a pseudonym used to conceal one’s identity (and, as a verb, to pretend); also, several unrelated meanings
2. Beguiling: deceptive, duplicitous, or diverting
3. Bogus: not genuine
4. Contrived: false or unnatural
5. Counterfeit: imitation or insincere
6. Delusory: deceptive
7. Dummy: imitation (and, as a noun, a mockup); also, several unrelated meanings
8. Ersatz: imitation or substitute (and generally inferior to the real thing)
9. Factitious: artificial or false
10. Fallacious: deceptive
11. Faux: imitation (usually in the sense of a design element or fashion item that deliberately mimics a more expensive material or fabric such as marble or fur)
12. Feigned: fictitious, or not genuine or real
13. Forged: imitation with intent to deceive; also, an unrelated meaning of being created by pressure and perhaps heat
14. Fraudulent: deceitful
15. Jive: deceitful (said of talk); also, superficial or foolish, or other unrelated meanings
16. Misleading: deceitful
17. Mock: imitation, in the senses of not being genuine or real
18. Phony: counterfeit, false, or fictitious; also, hypocritical
19. Pseudo: false (also a prefix in hyphenated and closed compounds such as pseudo-event and pseudopod)
20. Put-on: pretended
21. Sham: false, not genuine
22. Simulated: fake but intended or made to look genuine
23. Specious: deceptively attractive, or appearing genuine or truthful
24. Spurious: deceitful or imitation
25. Synthetic: not genuine; also, several unrelated meanings
CAclubindia
