1. (n.) That which deceives expectation; any trick, fraud, or device that deludes and disappoint; a make-believe; delusion; imposture, humbug.

2. (n.) A false front, or removable ornamental covering.

3. (a.) False; counterfeit; pretended; feigned; unreal; as, a sham fight.

4. (v. t.) To trick; to cheat; to deceive or delude with false pretenses.

5. (v. t.) To obtrude by fraud or imposition.

6. (v. t.) To assume the manner and character of; to imitate; to ape; to feign.

7. (v. i.) To make false pretenses; to deceive; to feign; to impose.

Tartuffery Tartuffism act act a part acting adulterated affect affectation affected affectedness airs airs and graces alibi ape apocryphal apology appearance artificial artificiality assume assumed attitudinizing bastard blagueur blazon blind bluff bluffer bluffing bogus bravura brilliancy brummagem burlesque cant caricature charlatan cheat cheating clinquant cloak color colorable colored coloring copy counterfeit counterfeited cover cover story cover up cover-up create daring dash deceit deception delusion demonstration device disguise display dissemblance dissemble dissembling dissimulate dissimulation distorted do a bit dramatics dramatize dressed up dummy eclat embellished embroidered ersatz etalage excuse exhibition exhibitionism facade face factitious fake faked fakement faker fakery faking FALSE false air false front false show falsified falsity fanfaronade farce feign feigned feigned belief feigning feint fictitious fictive figure flair flam flaunt flaunting flourish forged forgery four-flush four-flushing fourflusher frame-up fraud fraudulent front gammon garbled gilt gloss guise handle histrionics histrionize hoax hokey humbug humbuggery hypocrisy hypocritical hypocriticalness illegitimate image imitate imitation impersonator impostor imposture insincerity invent junk junky lame excuse let on let on like lie locus standi made-up make a pretense make as if make believe make like make out like make-believe malingerer man-made manifestation mannerism mask masquerade mere show meretriciousness mislead mock mountebank ostensible motive ostentation outward show overact pageant pageantry parade paste pecksniffery perverted pharisaicalness pharisaism phony pinchbeck plagiarized plaster play play a part play a scene play possum playact playacting poor excuse pose poser poseur posing posture pretend pretended pretender pretense pretension pretext profess protestation prunes and prisms pseudo public image public motive put on put on airs put-off put-on put-up job putting on airs quack quacksalver quackster quasi queer refuge representation ringer rip-off saltimbanco sanctimoniousness sanctimony screen seeming self-styled sell semblance shammer shoddy show showing-off simulacrum simulate simulated simulation smoke screen snide so-called soi-disant speciousness spectacle splash splurge spoof spurious staginess stalking-horse stratagem stylishness