Synonyms: False

Adulterare is a Latin verb meaning "to debase, corrupt, or dilute the purity of something."

From the Greek apokryphos, meaning "hidden," "illegitimate," or "of unknown authorship" via Latin, apocryphal refers to a story that is likely not true: a tall tale, an urban legend, or a myth (see below).

A bogus was a machine for printing counterfeit money. The term likely originated in the archaic expression tantrabogus, meaning something evil or the devil. This makes it a relative of bogey as in an enemy aircraft or a stroke over par in golf.

Closely related to deceptive, below, but with a detour through the Old French deceite.

Deceptionem is a Latin noun based on the verb decipere, "to deceive."

Dissemble is French, where it means the opposite of resemble.

Ersatz is a German word meaning "replacement."

To fabricate something means to make it, but while it can refer to real things like cars or furniture it can also refer to made up stories.

Fingere is Latin for "to form," to mold," or "to fake." This became the Old French feindre, the present participle of which is feignant, which entered Middle English. You'll most often see feign used to describe fake expressions of surprise or other emotions.

A forge is the furnace a blacksmith uses to work metal, and to forge something can mean to make it. But it can also mean to fake something — an artwork, or a person's signature — with the intent to commit fraud.

Ipokritikos is Greek for "acting" or "dissembling," above.

Mendum means "error" in Latin, so mendacious is a fancy way of saying "dishonest" or "a liar."

Praevaricari is a Latin verb meaning "to plough crookedly," which also came to mean "to transgress" or "to go astray." If someone answers a question without actually answering it, that's prevaricating.

Specious is most often used in a legal context to describe an argument or line of reasoning that sounds persuasive or impressive but lacks merit.

Spurius is Latin for "false" or "illegitimate."