false
adjective /fɔːls/
/fɔːls/
Idioms - wrong; not correct or true
- A whale is a fish. True or false?
- Predictions of an early improvement in the housing market proved false.
- She gave false information to the insurance company.
- He used a false name to get the job.
- His career was ruined by false accusations.
- The allegations are completely false.
- This claim is simply false.
- The law can punish knowingly false statements.
Extra Examples- Lagos is the capital of Nigeria. True or false?
- The gossip about her later proved to be entirely false.
- Their claim was patently false.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- prove
- …
- absolutely
- completely
- entirely
- …
- true or false
- not natural synonym artificial
- false teeth/eyelashes
- a false beard
- not real or what somebody claims it is, but made to look real to cheat people
- He had been travelling with a false passport.
- The case had a false bottom where documents or even a small radio could be hidden.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- prove
- …
- absolutely
- completely
- entirely
- …
- true or false
- [usually before noun] wrong or not accurate, because it is based on something that is not true or correct
- a false argument/assumption/belief
- to give a false impression of wealth
- to lull somebody into a false sense of security (= make somebody feel safe when they are really in danger)
- They didn't want to raise any false hopes, but they believed her husband had escaped capture.
- Buying a cheap computer is a false economy (= will not actually save you money).
- If you don't do the test right, it can lead to false positives.
Extra Examples- We had been lulled into a false sense of security.
- The couple had given the false impression of a blissfully happy marriage.
- His argument is based on the false assumption that all women want children.
- I don't want to raise any false hopes, but I think he's still alive.
- Those who were thought to hold false beliefs were persecuted.
- (of people’s behaviour) not real or sincere
- false modesty
- She flashed him a false smile of congratulation.
Extra ExamplesTopics Personal qualitiesb2- Helen's voice sounded slightly false.
- She managed a horribly false smile.
- She gave a tinkly little laugh, which sounded horribly false even to her own ears.
- Come on—this is no time for false modesty.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- ring
- sound
- …
- very
- slightly
- (literary) (of people) not faithful
- a false lover
not true
not natural
not real
wrong/not accurate
not sincere
not faithful
Word OriginOld English fals ‘fraud, deceit’, from Latin falsum ‘fraud’, neuter past participle of fallere ‘deceive’; reinforced or re-formed in Middle English from Old French fals, faus ‘false’.
Idioms
by/under/on false pretences
- by pretending to be something that you are not, in order to gain some advantage for yourself
- She was accused of obtaining money under false pretences.
Synonyms artificialartificial
- synthetic
- false
- man-made
- fake
- imitation
- artificial made or produced to copy something natural; not real:
- artificial flowers
- artificial light
- synthetic made by combining chemical substances rather than being produced naturally by plants or animals:
- synthetic drugs
- shoes with synthetic soles
- false not natural:
- false teeth
- a false beard
- man-made made by people; not natural:
- man-made fibres such as nylon
- fake made to look like something else; not real:
- a fake-fur jacket
- imitation [only before noun] made to look like something else; not real:
- She would never wear imitation pearls.
- artificial/synthetic/man-made fabrics/fibres/materials/products
- artificial/synthetic/fake/imitation fur/leather
- artificial/synthetic/false/fake/imitation diamonds/pearls
ring true/hollow/false
- to give the impression of being sincere/true or not sincere/true
- It may seem a strange story but it rings true to me.
- His expressions of support rang rather hollow.
- His promise rang hollow.