Direct Cross-Language Association: “fake” in German
This word also exists in German! Meaning: “(informal, especially predicative) fake, sham, counterfeit”
fake
Direct German Translations & Equivalents:
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Verb Conjugation Tables & Inflections
Definitions & Usage
Not real; false, fraudulent.
(Of people) Insincere
Something which is not genuine, or is presented fraudulently.
(sports) A move meant to deceive an opposing player, used for gaining advantage for example when dribbling an opponent.
(transitive) To make a counterfeit, to counterfeit, to forge, to falsify.
(transitive) To make a false display of, to affect, to feign, to simulate.
(archaic) To modify fraudulently, so as to make an object appear better or other than it really is
(music, ambitransitive) To improvise, in jazz.
(nautical) One of the circles or windings of a cable or hawser, as it lies in a coil; a single turn or coil.
(nautical) To coil (a rope, line, or hawser), by winding alternately in opposite directions, in layers usually of zigzag or figure of eight form, to prevent twisting when running out.
Notable Literary & Historical Quotes
“Seeing Rossano Brazzi play an aristocratic White Russian, standing in the fakest snow that wartime supplies could buy, may be the most peculiar twist of all in the curious story of how Ayn Rand's autobiographical first novel came to the screen.”
— 1988 November 25, Caryn James, “Ayn Rand Adaptation By Italian”, in The New York Times:
“The truth panic had the unwelcome side-effect of emboldening those it sought to oppose. “Fake” was one of Trump’s favourite slap-downs, especially to news outlets that reported unwelcome facts about him and his associates. A booming Maga media further amplified the president’s lies and denials.”
— 2025 October 2, William Davies, “A critique of pure stupidity: understanding Trump 2.0”, in The Guardian:
“Among other interesting and weighty opinions, which were in general agreement with our contentions, was one by Mr. H. A. Staddon of Goodmayes, a gentleman who had made a particular hobby of fakes in photography. His report is too long and too technical for inclusion, but, under the various headings of composition, dress, development, density, lighting, poise, texture, plate, atmosphere, focus, halation, he goes very completely into the evidence, coming to the final conclusion that when tried by all these tests the chances are not less than 80 per cent. in favour of authenticity.”
— 1922, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Coming of the Fairies: