Meaning & use
sham
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Meanings
nouncountabledisapproving
Something presented as real or sincere but actually false, fake, or deceptive.
Grammar: Countable; common in a sham or a complete sham.
Patterns
- a sham
- a complete sham
- expose a sham
The so-called clinic was a sham run to collect personal data.
The election observers called the vote a sham.
adjectivebefore a noundisapproving
Fake or staged to mislead, rather than the genuine thing it appears to be.
Grammar: Always before a noun in this use: a sham marriage, not the marriage was sham.
Patterns
- sham marriage
- sham company
- sham investigation
Investigators discovered a sham marriage arranged for a visa.
The audit was a sham designed to calm the public.
Word forms
| plural | shams |
|---|
Common combinations
- a complete sham
- The trial was called a complete sham by rights groups.
- sham marriage
- Authorities suspected a sham marriage after separate interviews.
- expose a sham
- The reporter worked for months to expose the sham.
- sham investigation
- A sham investigation can damage public trust for years.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fake
- Fake is the broad everyday word; sham often implies organized pretense or deception.
- fraud
- Fraud is illegal deception for gain; a sham may be dishonest without meeting the legal definition.
- pretense
- Pretense is a false show or claim; a sham is the thing or event presented falsely.
- mock
- Mock means imitation, sometimes harmless; sham implies intent to deceive.
Opposites
Commonly confused: sham or shame?
sham vs shame
Shame is guilt or disgrace; sham is something false presented as real.
Practice
The charity was exposed as a complete ___ that spent donations on luxury cars.
Choose one answer.
A sham is a fake thing meant to deceive. Shame is a feeling of disgrace, shadow is a dark shape, and shelter is protection, so they do not describe a fake charity.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sham”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.