phoniest
Least genuine seeming
Phoniest is the superlative of phony—the most fake, insincere, or fraudulent among a group: He's the phoniest politician I've ever seen.
The word carries strong contempt, suggesting not just falseness but obvious, detectable falseness: That was the phoniest smile I've ever witnessed.
Not the real thing
- feignedFalsely displayed or simulated
- disingenuousFeigning ignorance or innocence
- hypocriticalFeigning beliefs one lacks
- two-facedInsincere and deceptive
affected · contrived · superficial · hollow · put-on · false · pretend · sycophantic
Faker claiming false expertise
- impostorOne feigning another's identity
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- quackFake healer or fowl noise
- con artistProfessional fraud perpetrator
swindler · snake oil · mountebank · huckster · scammer · grifter · flimflam · hustler
Fraudulent imitation
- bogusCounterfeit or fraudulent
- shamFraudulent imitation
- forgedMade by smithing, or faked
- fraudulentInvolving intentional dishonesty
spurious · fake · falsified · fabricated · imitation · knockoff · ersatz · replica
Artificially contrived behavior
- ostentatiousShowily excessive
- pompousAffectedly grand in manner
- theatricalExaggeratedly emotional for effect
- grandiosePretentiously impressive in scale
showy · bombastic · highfalutin · overblown · exaggerated · flamboyant · hammy · melodramatic
Inclined to mislead others
- duplicitousDeliberately deceptive in nature
- misleadingCausing false beliefs
- treacherousDisloyal and dangerous
- dishonestInclined to deceive
guileful · scheming · underhanded · sneaky · shifty · slippery · devious · conniving
fake
Not the real thing
- feignedFalsely displayed or simulated
- disingenuousFeigning ignorance or innocence
- hypocriticalFeigning beliefs one lacks
two-faced · affected · contrived · superficial · hollow · put-on · false · pretend · sycophantic · unctuous
charlatan
Faker claiming false expertise
- impostorOne feigning another's identity
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- quackFake healer or fowl noise
con artist · swindler · snake oil · mountebank · huckster · scammer · grifter · flimflam · hustler · cheat
counterfeit
Fraudulent imitation
fraudulent · spurious · fake · falsified · fabricated · imitation · knockoff · ersatz · replica · copycat
affected
Artificially contrived behavior
- ostentatiousShowily excessive
- pompousAffectedly grand in manner
- theatricalExaggeratedly emotional for effect
grandiose · showy · bombastic · highfalutin · overblown · exaggerated · flamboyant · hammy · melodramatic · over-the-top
deceitful
Inclined to mislead others
- duplicitousDeliberately deceptive in nature
- misleadingCausing false beliefs
- treacherousDisloyal and dangerous
dishonest · guileful · scheming · underhanded · sneaky · shifty · slippery · devious · conniving · sly