false

adjective

ˈfȯls How to pronounce false (audio)
Definition of falsenext
1
as in erroneous
not being in agreement with what is true early reports about the explosion contained much false information

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in faux
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials George Washington's false teeth were not made of wood but of elephant ivory and cow's teeth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in counterfeit
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud arrested for selling false ID cards to teenagers

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4
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality so much of the sympathy that the widow received was false and hypocritical, since it came from people who never liked her husband in the first place

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5
as in fraudulent
marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value false advertising that claimed that the vegetables were organically grown when they weren't

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6
as in traitorous
not true in one's allegiance to someone or something false friends who deserted the prizefighter when all his money was gone

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7
as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive it turned out that the con man had made false promises of marriage to a dozen women

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word false different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of false are disloyal, faithless, perfidious, traitorous, and treacherous. While all these words mean "untrue to what should command one's fidelity or allegiance," false stresses the fact of failing to be true in any manner ranging from fickleness to cold treachery.

betrayed by false friends

When is disloyal a more appropriate choice than false?

Although the words disloyal and false have much in common, disloyal implies a lack of complete faithfulness to a friend, cause, leader, or country.

disloyal to their country

When is it sensible to use faithless instead of false?

The words faithless and false can be used in similar contexts, but faithless applies to any failure to keep a promise or pledge or any breach of allegiance or loyalty.

faithless allies

How are the words perfidious and faithless related as synonyms of false?

Perfidious adds to faithless the implication of an incapacity for fidelity or reliability.

a perfidious double-crosser

Where would traitorous be a reasonable alternative to false?

In some situations, the words traitorous and false are roughly equivalent. However, traitorous implies either actual treason or a serious betrayal of trust.

traitorous acts punishable by death

When can treacherous be used instead of false?

The synonyms treacherous and false are sometimes interchangeable, but treacherous implies readiness to betray trust or confidence.

a treacherous adviser

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of false However, the tidal wave of claims – many of which turned out to either be false, or simply lacking evidentiary support – caused an over-correction across the legal system that was akin to jerking the steering wheel the moment your tires begin to slip on ice. —Lauryn Overhultz , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025 Lopez and Mendoza’s cases did not show any evidence of use of false documents. —Julia Coin july 12, Charlotte Observer, 12 July 2025 Westminster is suing Brown and Schuman on claims of fraud, conspiracy, false claims and restitution. —Julia Marnin july 11, Sacbee.com, 11 July 2025 The state body, the Judicial Tenure Commission, has pursued a false narrative, said Hartig’s attorney, Donald D. Campbell, in a statement to the Free Press. —Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for false
Recent Examples of Synonyms for false
  1. erroneous
  2. faux
  3. counterfeit
  4. mock
  5. fraudulent
  6. traitorous
  7. inaccurate
  8. synthetic
Adjective
  • The latest erroneous metaphor is that our brains are like AI systems.
    — Iddo Gefen, Twin Cities, 16 July 2025
  • The amount a state owes would be based on a formula set by the percentage of erroneous payments reported each year.
    — Elena Moore, NPR, 28 June 2025
Definition of erroneous
Adjective
  • Morrow wore all Coach: a faux fur cheetah coat with mom-style denim jeans and a black leather bustier top.
    — Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 21 July 2025
  • How the sale of Miami hospitals is involved The indictment in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia says Romeu bought faux Viagra out of Hong Kong.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 20 July 2025
Definition of faux
Adjective
  • The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) wants the Trump administration to crack down on counterfeit risks posed by domestic entities.
    — Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 18 July 2025
  • Fake websites, impersonator accounts and counterfeit listings can erode trust quickly, and often without warning.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
Definition of counterfeit
Adjective
  • The analytics department had built a mock draft simulator to get a feel for how the board might shake out before the Panthers selected at their No. 57 spot.
    — Mike Kaye July 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 July 2025
  • In early March, the command's fighter jets and a U.S. bomber carried out a mock interception over Alaska, showcasing its ability to defend the continent at a moment's notice.
    — Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
Definition of mock
Adjective
  • Most courts will ignore asset protection moves taken after that point, labeling them as fraudulent conveyances.
    — Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • In total, the group was accused of wasting 1,937 COVID-19 vaccine doses between October 2021 and September 2022, including 391 pediatric doses, and creating fraudulent immunization records for them.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 14 July 2025
Definition of fraudulent
Adjective
  • There's a delicious whodunit aspect to it, too, as the list of five potentially traitorous suspects includes the operative's own high-profile wife (Cate Blanchett).
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 July 2025
  • Michael Fassbender plays a British intelligence officer tasked with finding who leaked a top-secret software program and betrayed their country, and the list of five potentially traitorous suspects includes his own high-profile wife (Cate Blanchett).
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 May 2025
Definition of traitorous
Adjective
  • The two have had to step carefully during their tenure together, with McAfee once criticizing a top ESPN executive on air, and allowing one guest, Aaron Rodgers, to make inaccurate claims about coronavirus vaccines.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 15 July 2025
  • At least that error yields an answer to the question posed, albeit an inaccurate one.
    — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 14 July 2025
Definition of inaccurate
Adjective
  • The deadly synthetic opioid has been covered in books and research papers and articles, including many published by inewsource, the nonprofit San Diego newsroom where Self is the managing editor.
    — Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2025
  • The push for tools to address overdoses has taken on more urgency as deaths from synthetic opioids have skyrocketed in Texas and across the U.S. Fentanyl was identified as the likely cause of a surge of 79 overdoses in Austin last spring, which killed nine people.
    — Bayliss Wagner, Austin American Statesman, 23 July 2025
Definition of synthetic

Browse Nearby Words

fall (to)
false
falsehood
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“False.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/false. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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