fakes
fakes — noun
- fakessingular
- fakesesplural
1. something created to appear genuine or expensive when it is not, intended to tri
something created to appear genuine or expensive when it is not, intended to trick people into believing it is real.
The painting in the museum turned out to be a fake worth only a few hundred dollars.
fake + painting; passive: turned out to be a fake
Minh bought a fake designer watch from a street seller for just fifteen dollars.
Experts examined the ancient vase and quickly identified it as a fake.
The gallery owner promised to refund anyone who had unknowingly purchased a fake.
- forgery
specifically refers to a document, painting, or banknote that has been copied to deceive
- counterfeit
mostly used for money, goods, or documents made to look exactly like the real ones
- imitation
a neutral term; an imitation may be sold honestly as a cheaper version without intent to deceive
- original
the first and authentic version of something
- genuine article
the real thing, not a copy
用法筆記
Countable noun. Often appears with verbs like 'turn out to be', 'identify as', 'expose as'.
常見錯誤
2. a person who pretends to have skills, qualifications, or a background that they
a person who pretends to have skills, qualifications, or a background that they do not actually possess.
The famous actress discovered that her new assistant was a fake who had stolen someone else's identity.
fake + [person] who had [deception]; identity theft context
After five minutes with the man, the nurse knew he was a fake pretending to be a doctor.
Lan felt embarrassed when she realised the man she had been dating online was a complete fake.
The newspaper exposed the famous chef as a fake who could not even cook basic dishes.
- genuine person
someone who is exactly who they claim to be
用法筆記
Countable noun. Often followed by a relative clause describing the deception ('a fake who...'). Strongly negative; describes deliberate deception.
常見錯誤
3. a pretend action in a game or sport that aims to make an opponent move the wrong
a pretend action in a game or sport that aims to make an opponent move the wrong way.
The basketball player made a fake to the left and then drove toward the basket for an easy score.
make a fake to the [left/right] (sports)
With a quick fake, the striker sent the goalkeeper diving the wrong way and scored.
Ignacio practised his fakes in front of the mirror every evening after school.
The quarterback threw a perfect fake before passing the ball to the running back.
用法筆記
Countable noun. Most common in basketball, football (soccer), and American football. Verb equivalents are 'fake out' or 'feint'.
fakes — adjective
- fakespositive
- fakesercomparative
- fakesestsuperlative
1. designed to appear like something valuable or high-quality, but not actually bei
designed to appear like something valuable or high-quality, but not actually being the real thing.
The shop was selling fake handbags that looked almost exactly like the real ones.
fake + [product] + looks like real one
Mira received a fake ID from an online seller and was caught at the airport.
The antique dealer was arrested for selling fake furniture to wealthy collectors.
Romi could not tell the difference between the real diamond and the fake one.
- counterfeit
specifically for money, documents, and officially branded goods; stronger sense of crime
- artificial
can be neutral; artificial flowers or sweeteners are not designed to deceive
- phony
informal; also used for people or claims that are not sincere
用法筆記
Attributive and predicative use ('a fake passport', 'this passport is fake'). Commonly modifies nouns for money, documents, goods, and luxury items.
常見錯誤
2. showing an emotion that is not genuinely felt, done for social politeness or to
showing an emotion that is not genuinely felt, done for social politeness or to create a false impression.
Her fake smile fooled nobody at the office party after the bad news.
fake smile (common collocation)
The politician's fake concern for low-income families did not convince the voters.
Andrew gave a fake laugh when his boss told a terrible joke during the meeting.
Noa could not stand the fake kindness of salespeople in the expensive clothing store.
用法筆記
Modifies nouns for emotions or social reactions (smile, laugh, concern, sympathy, enthusiasm, surprise). Often used in social or professional contexts where politeness masks true feelings.
常見錯誤
fakes — verb
- fakespresent simple I / you / we / they
- fakeses3rd person singular
- fakesing-ing form
- fakesedpast simple
1. to behave as if you have a particular feeling or medical condition when you do n
to behave as if you have a particular feeling or medical condition when you do not, usually to avoid something you do not want to do.
Yara faked a headache to get out of the meeting with her supervisor.
fake + a headache / an illness to avoid something
The little boy faked a cough so his mother would let him stay home from school.
Soraya faked surprise when her friends walked into the restaurant for her birthday party.
Please do not fake interest in my stamp collection just to be polite.
文法句型
fake + [illness/feeling]
fake + noun phrase
用法筆記
Object is typically a feeling (interest, surprise) or illness (headache, cough). Cannot be used with a that-clause (❌ 'She faked that she was ill' is non-standard; ✅ 'She faked an illness').
常見錯誤
2. to produce a copy of a document, artwork, or other valuable thing that is meant
to produce a copy of a document, artwork, or other valuable thing that is meant to trick people into accepting it as the original.
The criminal faked the signature on the cheque and tried to cash it at the bank.
fake + a signature / a document / a certificate
Tyler discovered that someone had faked his degree certificate and used it to get a job at the hospital.
The artist was accused of faking ancient pottery and selling it to museums around the world.
Shanti's company lost a lot of money because a supplier had faked the safety test results.
- forge
specifically for documents, signatures, and money; a legal term used in criminal contexts
- counterfeit
mostly for money and official documents
- copy
neutral; copying is not necessarily deceptive
- authenticate
to prove that something is genuine
文法句型
fake + [object/document/artefact]
用法筆記
Object is typically a document, work of art, banknote, or data. Frequently passive ('the painting was faked'). Implies criminal intent; stronger than 'copy'.
常見錯誤
3. to make a quick pretended movement in a sport so that an opponent moves the wron
to make a quick pretended movement in a sport so that an opponent moves the wrong way, giving you an advantage.
The tennis player faked a drop shot and then hit the ball past her opponent down the line.
fake a [sports move] + then [real move]
Vivek faked a pass to his teammate and then ran toward the goal himself.
The boxer faked a punch with his left hand and then struck hard with his right.
Amihan faked going left and easily moved past the defender on the right side of the field.
文法句型
fake + [direction/movement]
fake someone out
用法筆記
Common in competitive sports contexts. Can also be used with 'out' as a phrasal verb ('fake someone out'). The object is a sports move, direction, or an opponent.