sham — something that is not what it purports to be; a fake or imitation
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: something that is not what it purports to be; a fake or imitation
Pronunciation (IPA): /ʃæm/
Example Sentences
- The professor's degree from 'Harvard University' was a complete sham - it was actually from 'Hardvard University' with a typo!
- The company's environmental efforts turned out to be nothing but a sham.
- He shammed being a food critic to get free meals at fancy restaurants.
sham
NOUN[/ʃæm/]
something that is not what it purports to be; a fake or imitation
Fake gold watches revealed as cheap imitations
The fancy ham was just a sham—it's only jam!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From a dialectal variant of 'shame,' influenced by similar words in Scandinavian languages. The word emerged in English around the 17th century, initially used to describe something false or pretended.
Breakdown
sham (noun/adjective) - likely from Old English 'scamu' (shame) with dialectal alteration, or possibly from Old Norse 'skömm' (shame), used to mean 'something pretended' or 'false appearance'
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The professor's degree from 'Harvard University' was a complete sham - it was actually from 'Hardvard University' with a typo!”
“The company's environmental efforts turned out to be nothing but a sham.”
“He shammed being a food critic to get free meals at fancy restaurants.”
“The peace negotiation was just a sham to buy more time for military preparation.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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