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-phony

suff.

Sound: telephony.

[Greek -phōniā, from phōnē, sound, voice; see bhā-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

pho·ny also pho·ney

(fōnē)

adj. pho·ni·er, pho·ni·est

1. Not genuine or real; sham or counterfeit: a phony credit card; a phony beard.

2. Spurious, deceptive, or false: a phony excuse.

3. Fraudulent, deceitful, or dishonest: a phony expert in investing.

n. pl. pho·nies also pho·neys

1. A fraudulent or dishonest person.

2. Something that is not genuine; a fake.

[Alteration of fawney, gilt brass ring used by swindlers, from Irish Gaelic fáinne, ring, from Old Irish.]

phoni·ly adv.

phoni·ness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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