ersatz
Not the genuine
Ersatz describes something serving as a substitute, usually an inferior one.
The word came from German during wartime shortages, when ersatz coffee might be made from acorns and ersatz rubber from synthetic materials.
The connotation is of something artificial or second-rate that fails to match the original: ersatz sentiment, ersatz leather, an ersatz version of democracy.
Fraudulent imitation
- phoneyInsincere or fake
- bogusCounterfeit or fraudulent
- shamFraudulent imitation
- spuriousFalse though appearing genuine
pseudo · fraudulent · faux · pretend · feigned · mock · phony · false
Made, not natural
- polyesterSynthetic petroleum-based fabric
- nylonSynthetic textile polymer
- plasticCapable of being molded
- vinylSynthetic resin plastic
acrylic · rayon · imitation leather · faux fur · simulated · man-made · processed · chemical
Beverage from roasted roots
- rationingLimiting distribution during scarcity
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
- deprivationState of lacking necessities
austerity · wartime · saccharin · powdered eggs · carob · Victory Garden · meatless · butterless
What takes another's place
- surrogateOne acting for another
- stand-inTemporary human placeholder
- fill-inTemporary substitute person
- stopgapTemporary substitute measure
makeshift · backup · alternate · proxy · pinch-hitter · understudy · placeholder · temporary
Low in price
- shoddyOf poor craftsmanship
- substandardBelow required quality
- second-rateBelow acceptable standards
- low-gradeOf poor quality
tawdry · flimsy · subpar · mediocre · degraded · diluted · adulterated · compromised
counterfeit
Fraudulent imitation
spurious · pseudo · fraudulent · faux · pretend · feigned · mock · phony · false · forged
artificial
Made, not natural
- polyesterSynthetic petroleum-based fabric
- nylonSynthetic textile polymer
- plasticCapable of being molded
vinyl · acrylic · rayon · imitation leather · faux fur · simulated · man-made · processed · chemical · manufactured
chicory coffee
Beverage from roasted roots
- rationingLimiting distribution during scarcity
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
deprivation · austerity · wartime · saccharin · powdered eggs · carob · Victory Garden · meatless · butterless
replacement
What takes another's place
- surrogateOne acting for another
- stand-inTemporary human placeholder
- fill-inTemporary substitute person
stopgap · makeshift · backup · alternate · proxy · pinch-hitter · understudy · placeholder · temporary · locum
cheap
Low in price
- shoddyOf poor craftsmanship
- substandardBelow required quality
- second-rateBelow acceptable standards
low-grade · tawdry · flimsy · subpar · mediocre · degraded · diluted · adulterated · compromised · watered-down
- artificialartificial, synthetic, man-made, manufactured, fabricated
- authenticityauthentic, genuine, real, fake, counterfeit
- borrowed wordschic, naive, passe, avant-garde, faux
- fakesfake, fakes, counterfeit, counterfeits, imitation
- German Wordsdie, in, an, auf, von
- backupsbackup copy, backup file, backup drive, backup system, backup generator