false
/fɔːls/ (bre, ipa) · /fɔːls/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfȯls/ (ame, mw)
false — adjective
1. Describes something that has been made to look like the real thing but is not —
Describes something that has been made to look like the real thing but is not — for example, a false passport, false teeth, or a false wall built to hide something.
Tyler wore a pair of false eyelashes to the costume party last weekend.
collocation: false eyelashes / false teeth / false passport
The security guard checked the passport and immediately knew it was false.
Lan bought a leather handbag at the market, but the material was false.
Police discovered a false wall in the basement where the stolen goods were kept.
The dentist made false teeth for my grandmother after she lost her own.
- fake
more common in informal speech for imitation goods
- imitation
suggests a copy not intended to deceive
- counterfeit
formal term for illegally copied money or goods
- artificial
focuses on being man-made rather than fake
文法句型
false + noun
用法筆記
Common before nouns for body parts (false teeth, false eyelashes, false nails) and documents (false passport, false ID). When describing a copy of a branded product, 'fake' is more frequent in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
2. Describes a statement, claim, or piece of information that someone says knowing
Describes a statement, claim, or piece of information that someone says knowing it is not true, usually in order to gain an advantage or hide the truth.
The candidate was caught making false promises about lowering taxes during the debate.
collocation: false promise / false claim / false statement
Ezra gave the hotel a false name because he did not want to be found.
The newspaper printed a false report about the mayor's retirement plans.
Talia received an email that made a false claim about winning a lottery she had never entered.
Carlos was arrested for making a false statement to the police during the investigation.
- untrue
less accusatory; simply states the fact of not being true
- misleading
not necessarily a lie, but gives the wrong idea
- deceptive
focuses on the effect of causing wrong belief
- fraudulent
stronger, legal term for deliberate deception
文法句型
false + noun (statement, claim, promise)
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1 (NOT REAL), this sense is about spoken or written information, not physical objects. The noun is usually an abstract thing: claim, promise, statement, name, accusation, report, rumour.
常見錯誤
3. Refers to the expression 'under false pretences', describing a situation where a
Refers to the expression 'under false pretences', describing a situation where a person obtains something — money, a job, or entry to a place — by hiding the truth about their identity, their actions, or their reasons.
The salesman gained entry to the elderly woman's house under false pretences.
fixed phrase: under false pretences
Niran was charged with obtaining money under false pretences from three different families.
Yuki got the job under false pretences by lying about her university degree.
The journalists entered the hospital under false pretences, pretending to be relatives of a patient.
- dishonestly
adverb covering the general idea, but less specific
- fraudulently
legal term matching the seriousness
文法句型
under false pretences
用法筆記
Almost always occurs in the prepositional phrase 'under false pretences' (British spelling) or 'under false pretenses' (American spelling). This is a fixed expression — you cannot replace 'false' with a synonym.
常見錯誤
4. Not correct or accurate; this type of error typically results from wrong informa
Not correct or accurate; this type of error typically results from wrong information or a misunderstanding rather than from a deliberate intention to deceive others.
Folake had a false impression that the test would be easy and did not study.
collocation: false impression
The map gave us a false sense of how far the train station really was.
Isabela's conclusion was based on several false assumptions about the data.
Many people hold the false belief that drinking eight glasses of water daily is necessary.
The student's calculation was false because she had misread the chart.
- wrong
most common everyday word for incorrect
- incorrect
more formal than 'wrong', common in academic settings
- inaccurate
suggests small errors rather than complete wrongness
- mistaken
focuses on the person holding the wrong idea
文法句型
be false
false + noun (assumption, impression, belief)
用法筆記
This sense contrasts with sense 2 (DISHONEST): here the information is wrong by accident or misunderstanding, not by deliberate design. 'False' in this sense overlaps with 'wrong' and 'incorrect', but 'false' often carries a slightly more formal tone.
常見錯誤
5. Describes a display of emotion or politeness that is not genuine — the person ap
Describes a display of emotion or politeness that is not genuine — the person appears to feel something kind or friendly but does not really feel it.
Quinn forced a false smile when the boring guest arrived at the party.
collocation: false smile / false laughter / false tears
Her words of comfort sounded false to everyone who knew she disliked the family.
The actor's false tears on stage did not convince the audience at all.
Christopher's false modesty annoyed his colleagues because they knew he was proud of his work.
Élise offered false compliments about the meal, even though she thought it tasted terrible.
文法句型
false + noun (emotion, display)
be false
用法筆記
Often describes visible expressions (smile, tears, laughter) or socially expected behaviour (modesty, sympathy, compliments). The closest everyday synonym is 'fake', which is more informal and covers a broader range.
常見錯誤
6. Describes a person who appears to be a friend or supporter but secretly acts aga
Describes a person who appears to be a friend or supporter but secretly acts against you, showing no loyalty when it matters.
Anjali learned that her close colleague was a false friend and had been spreading rumours behind her back.
In the novel, a false friend betrays the prince to seize the throne for himself.
collocation: false friend — disloyal person
Sophia warned her brother that the new neighbour seemed like a false friend seeking favours.
The old king surrounded himself with false friends who wanted only his money.
- disloyal
direct synonym; the standard word
- unfaithful
often used for romantic relationships
- treacherous
stronger, implies dangerous betrayal
- two-faced
informal, describes someone who acts friendly but isn't
- loyal
faithful and dependable
- trustworthy
can be relied on
文法句型
false + noun (friend, lover)
用法筆記
This sense is most commonly found in the fixed noun phrase 'false friend', which describes a person. Note that 'false friend' has a completely different meaning in linguistics (a word in another language that looks like one in your language but means something different).
常見錯誤
false — adverb
1. In a way that is dishonest or not faithful to someone who trusted you; found mai
In a way that is dishonest or not faithful to someone who trusted you; found mainly in older literature, formal writing, or poetry rather than in everyday speech.
The captain's second-in-command acted falsely by sharing battle plans with the enemy.
collocation: act falsely — betray trust
Pedro swore he would never speak falsely to his closest friend.
Historians proved that the witness had testified falsely at the trial.
The old poem describes a knight who vowed never to deal falsely with anyone.
- dishonestly
standard modern adverb
- untruthfully
focuses on factually wrong statements
- treacherously
stronger, implies betrayal
- honestly
in a truthful way
- faithfully
with loyalty and trust
用法筆記
This adverb is rare in modern everyday English. Most speakers use 'dishonestly' or 'untruthfully' instead. You are most likely to find it in older literature, formal legal writing, or poetic contexts.