a. [ Also spelled phony. ] [ Compar. phonier superl. phoniest. ] 1. Imitating something superior; intended to deceive; fraudulent; having a misleading appearance; not genuine; false; counterfeit; fake; as, a phoney diamond; a phoney hundred-dollar bill. Syn. -- bogus, counterfeit, fake, ersatz; fraudulent; false. [ PJC ]
2. Pretending to be other than one is; putting on false appearances; insincere; hypocritical; -- of people. [ PJC ]
n. Something or someone that is phoney. [ Also spelled phony. ] [ PJC ]