First Known Use: 1677
Dictionary
1sham
noun \ˈsham\
: something that is not what it appears to be and that is meant to trick or deceive people
: someone who deceives people by pretending to be a particular kind of person, to have a particular skill, etc.
: words or actions that are not sincere or honest
Full Definition of SHAM
1
: a trick that deludes : hoax <feared that the deal was a sham>
2
: cheap falseness : hypocrisy <saw through the hollowness, the sham, the silliness of the empty pageant — Oscar Wilde>
3
: an ornamental covering for a pillow
4
: an imitation or counterfeit purporting to be genuine
5
: a person who shams
See sham defined for English-language learners
See sham defined for kids
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Origin of SHAM
perhaps from English dialect sham shame, alteration of English shame
Synonym Discussion of SHAM
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 <their claim of environmental concern is an imposture>. fraud usually implies a deliberate perversion of the truth <the diary was exposed as a fraud>. sham applies to fraudulent imitation of a real thing or action <condemned the election as a sham>. fake implies an imitation of or substitution for the genuine but does not necessarily imply dishonesty <these jewels are fakes; the real ones are in the vault>. humbug suggests elaborate pretense usually so flagrant as to be transparent <creating publicity by foisting humbugs on a gullible public>. counterfeit applies especially to the close imitation of something valuable <20-dollar bills that were counterfeits>.
2sham
adjective
: not real
Full Definition of SHAM
2
: having such poor quality as to seem false
See sham defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of SHAM
1681
3sham
verb
: to act in a way that is meant to trick or deceive people
shammedsham·ming
Full Definition of SHAM
transitive verb
: to go through the external motions necessary to counterfeit
intransitive verb
: to act intentionally so as to give a false impression : feign
— sham·mer \ˈsha-mər\ noun
See sham defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of SHAM
1739
Related to SHAM
Synonym Discussion of SHAM
assume, affect, pretend, simulate, feign, counterfeit, sham mean to put on a false or deceptive appearance. assume often implies a justifiable motive rather than an intent to deceive <assumed an air of cheerfulness around the patients>. affect implies making a false show of possessing, using, or feeling <affected an interest in art>. pretend implies an overt and sustained false appearance <pretended that nothing had happened>. simulate suggests a close imitation of the appearance of something <cosmetics that simulate a suntan>. feign implies more artful invention than pretend, less specific mimicry than simulate <feigned sickness>. counterfeit implies achieving the highest degree of verisimilitude of any of these words <an actor counterfeiting drunkenness>. sham implies an obvious falseness that fools only the gullible <shammed a most unconvincing limp>.
SHAMMED Defined for Kids
1sham
noun \ˈsham\
Definition of SHAM for Kids
1
: something that deceives : hoax
2
: something that is claimed to be true or real but which is actually phony
3
: a decorative covering for a pillow
2sham
adjective
Definition of SHAM for Kids
: not real : false <sham concern>
3sham
verb
shammedsham·ming
Definition of SHAM for Kids
: to act in a deceiving way
Medical Dictionary
sham
adjective \ˈsham\
Medical Definition of SHAM
: being a treatment or procedure that is performed as a control and that is similar to but omits a key therapeutic element of the treatment or procedure under investigation <sham surgery, in which doctors make an incision in a patient's knee and manipulate the joint, but don't clean out fluid, debris, and torn cartilage—Liz Kowalczyk> <a sham injection of saline solution>
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