pseud
Pretentious fraud, informally
A pseud is a pretentious person who affects knowledge, culture, or sophistication they don't genuinely possess.
The word is British slang, shortened from pseudo-intellectual: Don't be such a pseud—you've never actually read Proust.
As an adjective, pseud means fake or affected: all that pseud philosophizing.
One feigning another's identity
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- charlatanFaker claiming false expertise
- fakerOne who pretends
- phonyFraudulent person or thing
poseur · pretender · wannabe · dilettante · mountebank · swindler · deceiver · hoaxer
Not the real thing
- shamFraudulent imitation
- counterfeitFraudulent imitation
- bogusCounterfeit or fraudulent
- spuriousFalse though appearing genuine
fraudulent · phony · inauthentic · ersatz · artificial · fabricated · feigned · contrived
Deceptive outward show
- guiseExternal manner shown
- masqueradeDeceptive act or costume party
- disguiseIdentity-concealing alteration
- veneerDecorative outer layer
front · charade · affectation · airs · persona · mask · semblance · appearance
Adopted false name
- pen nameAuthor's assumed identity
- nom de plumeAuthor's false identity
- stage namePerformer's professional alias
- assumed nameAdopted false identity
false name · screen name · handle · moniker · nom de guerre · alter ego · anonymity · byline
impostor
One feigning another's identity
phony · poseur · pretender · wannabe · dilettante · mountebank · swindler · deceiver · hoaxer · quack
fake
Not the real thing
- shamFraudulent imitation
- counterfeitFraudulent imitation
- bogusCounterfeit or fraudulent
spurious · fraudulent · phony · inauthentic · ersatz · artificial · fabricated · feigned · contrived · pretend
pretense
Deceptive outward show
- guiseExternal manner shown
- masqueradeDeceptive act or costume party
- disguiseIdentity-concealing alteration
veneer · front · charade · affectation · airs · persona · mask · semblance · appearance · show
alias
Adopted false name
- pen nameAuthor's assumed identity
- nom de plumeAuthor's false identity
- stage namePerformer's professional alias
assumed name · false name · screen name · handle · moniker · nom de guerre · alter ego · anonymity · byline
pseudauthentic
Verified as original
genuine article · real McCoy · honest broker · straight shooter
- pseudo scienceFalse discipline mimicking rigor
pseudo, pseudonym, pseudepigrapha, pseudo-intellectual, pseudomonas, pseudonymous, pseudoephedrine, pseudo-, pseudomorph