sham

noun

/ʃæm/

(disapproving)

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[singular] a situation, feeling, system, etc. that is not as good or true as it seems to be假象；假情假义；伪善；伪装
- She felt trapped in a sham of a marriage.她觉得自己被困在一场虚假的婚姻中。
[countable, usually singular] a person who pretends to be something that they are not假装…的人；冒充者；假冒者
- The article exposes him for the sham that he really is.这篇文章揭露了他的虚伪。
[uncountable] behaviour, feelings, words, etc. that are intended to make somebody/something seem to be better than they really are虚假的行为（或感情、言语等）；伪善
- Their promises turned out to be full of sham and hypocrisy.他们的许诺到头来全是空的、骗人的。
- His intellectual pretensions are all sham.他的智力伪装都是假的。

Word Originlate 17th cent.: perhaps a northern English dialect variant of the noun shame.

adjective

/ʃæm/

[only before noun] (usually disapproving)

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not what somebody claims it is but intended to seem real虚假的；假装的 synonym false
- a sham marriage假结婚
Word Originlate 17th cent.: perhaps a northern English dialect variant of the noun shame.

verb

/ʃæm/

[intransitive, transitive]

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they sham	/ʃæm/ /ʃæm/
he / she / it shams	/ʃæmz/ /ʃæmz/
past simple shammed	/ʃæmd/ /ʃæmd/
past participle shammed	/ʃæmd/ /ʃæmd/
-ing form shamming	/ˈʃæmɪŋ/ /ˈʃæmɪŋ/

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to pretend something假装；冒充
- sham (something) Is he really sick or is he just shamming?他真病了，还是装的？
- sham + adj. Hamlet is really sane but shamming mad.哈姆雷特的确神智清醒，但却装疯卖傻。
Word Originlate 17th cent.: perhaps a northern English dialect variant of the noun shame.

BNC: 13965 COCA: 12391

sham adj.
⇨ so-called

BNC: 13965 COCA: 12391

sham

Imaginary and not real: imaginary, hypothetical, false...