faker

US: (fā′kər)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

fak•er  (fā′kər), n. 

1. a person who fakes.
2. a petty swindler.
3. a peddler or street vendor of articles of dubious value.

• fake¹ + -er¹ 1840–50

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

fake¹ /feɪk/   v., faked, fak•ing, n., adj. 
v. [~ + object]

1. to create or produce (something) in order to mislead, deceive, or cheat others:
   The embezzler faked the report.
2. to pretend;
   simulate;
   feign:
   faking illness.
3. to imitate convincingly or acceptably;
   counterfeit:
   to fake some expensive paintings.
4. fake it, [no object] to accomplish by trial and error or by improvising:
   He doesn't know how to use that computer, he's just faking it.

n. [countable]

5. anything that misleads, deceives, cheats, or fools others by seeming to be what it is not;
   counterfeit;
   sham:
   The diamond was a fake.
6. a person who fakes;
   fraud:
   That salesman is a fake.

adj. 

7. designed to deceive or cheat;
   counterfeit:
   a fake diamond.

fak•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

fake¹  (fāk), v., faked, fak•ing, n., adj. 
v.t. 

1. prepare or make (something specious, deceptive, or fraudulent):
   to fake a report showing nonexistent profits.
2. to conceal the defects of or make appear more attractive, interesting, valuable, etc., usually in order to deceive:
   The story was faked a bit to make it more sensational.
3. to pretend;
   simulate:
   to fake illness.
4. to accomplish by trial and error or by improvising:
   I don't know the job, but I can fake it.
5. to trick or deceive (an opponent) by making a fake (often fol. by out):
   The running back faked out the defender with a deft move and scored.
6. Music and Dance [Jazz.]
   • to improvise:
     to fake an accompaniment.
   • to play (music) without reading from a score.

v.i. 

7. to fake something;
   pretend.
8. to give a fake to an opponent.
9. fake out, [Slang.]
   • to trick;
     deceive:
     She faked me out by acting friendly and then stole my job.
   • to surprise, as by a sudden reversal:
     They thought we weren't coming back, but we faked them out by showing up during dinner.

n. 

10. anything made to appear otherwise than it actually is;
    counterfeit:
    This diamond necklace is a fake.
11. a person who fakes;
    faker:
    The doctor with the reputed cure for cancer proved to be a fake.
12. a spurious report or story.
13. Sport a simulated play or move intended to deceive an opponent.

adj. 

14. designed to deceive or cheat;
    not real;
    counterfeit.

• 1805–15; origin, originally vagrants' slang: to do for, rob, kill (someone), shape (something); perh. variant of obsolete feak, feague to beat, akin to Dutch veeg a slap, vegen to sweep, wipe

Synonyms

• 3. feign, affect, dissemble, sham, fabricate.
• 11. fraud, impostor, quack, charlatan, deceiver.

fake²  (fāk), v., faked, fak•ing, n. [Naut.]
v.t. 

1. Nautical, Naval Terms to lay (a rope) in a coil or series of long loops so as to allow to run freely without fouling or kinking (often fol. by down).

n. 

2. Nautical, Naval Terms any complete turn of a rope that has been faked down.
3. Nautical, Naval Terms any of the various ways in which a rope may be faked down.

Also, flake. 

• Middle English faken to coil (a rope), of obscure origin, originally 1350–1400