Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [foh-nee]
- /ˈfoʊ ni/
- /ˈfoʊ·ni/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [foh-nee]
- /ˈfoʊ ni/
Definitions of phonies word
- adjective phonies not real or genuine; fake; counterfeit: a phony diamond. 1
- adjective phonies false or deceiving; not truthful; concocted: a phony explanation. 1
- adjective phonies insincere or deceitful; affected or pretentious: a phony sales representative. 1
- noun plural phonies something that is phony; a counterfeit or fake. 1
- noun plural phonies an insincere, pretentious, or deceitful person: He thought my friends were a bunch of phonies. 1
- verb with object phonies to falsify; counterfeit; fabricate (often followed by up): to phony up a document. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of phonies
First appearance:
before 1895 One of the 18% newest English words
1895-1900; perhaps alteration and respelling of fawney (slang) finger ring (< Irish fsptáinne), if taken to mean “false” in the phrase fawney rig a confidence game in which a brass ring is sold as a gold one
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Phonies
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
phonies popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 86% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
According to our data about 50% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.
phonies usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for phonies
noun phonies
- casuists — Plural form of casuist.
- chameleons — Plural form of chameleon.
- charlatans — Plural form of charlatan.
- chasers — Plural form of chaser.
- counterfeits — Plural form of counterfeit.
verb phonies
- copies — A thing made to be similar or identical to another.
adjective phonies
- fakes — Plural form of fake.
- loudmouths — Plural form of loudmouth.
- mocks — Plural form of mock.
Top questions with phonies
- what are phonies?
See also
Matching words
- Words starting with p
- Words starting with ph
- Words starting with pho
- Words starting with phon
- Words starting with phoni
- Words starting with phonie
- Words starting with phonies