sham
sham [sham shams shammed shamming] noun, adjective, verb BrE [ʃæm] NAmE [ʃæm]
noun (disapproving)
1. singular a situation, feeling, system, etc. that is not as good or true as it seems to be
•The latest crime figures are a complete sham.
•She felt trapped in a sham of a marriage.
2. countable, usually singular a person who pretends to be sth that they are not
•The article exposes him for the sham that he really is.
3. uncountable behaviour, feelings, words, etc. that are intended to make sb/sth seem to be better than they really are
•Their promises turned out to be full of sham and hypocrisy.
•His intellectual pretensions are all sham.
Word Origin:
late 17th cent.: perhaps a northern English dialect variant of the noun ↑shame.
adjective only before noun (usually disapproving)
not genuine but intended to seem real
Syn: ↑false
•a sham marriage
Word Origin:
late 17th cent.: perhaps a northern English dialect variant of the noun ↑shame.
Example Bank:
•She soon realized she was trapped in a sham marriage.
verb (-mm-)intransitive, transitive ~ (sth) | + adj.
to pretend sth
•Is he really sick or is he just shamming?
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
late 17th cent.: perhaps a northern English dialect variant of the noun ↑shame.
|
|
