sham
sham Lexical Profile
sham Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A thing that is not what it is purported to be; a deceitful pretense or hoax.
"Independent observers quickly exposed the public hearing as a complete sham."
North American An ornamental, often bordered cover for a bed pillow used for decorative display when the bed is made.
"She bought a new duvet cover with matching quilted pillow shams for the guest bedroom."
A person who pretends to be someone or something they are not; a fraud or impostor.
"The self-proclaimed healer was eventually revealed to be a sham."
• adjective
Bogus, false, or counterfeit; not genuine or authentic.
"The authorities investigated several sham marriages arranged solely to bypass immigration laws."
• verb
To falsely present something as the truth; to feign or pretend (an illness, sleep, or emotional state).
"He shammed a sudden headache so he could leave the tedious meeting early."
• Rhymes for sham
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the late 17th century as northern English dialectal slang, likely representing a variant pronunciation of the noun 'shame'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.