FALSE Synonyms: 317 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'false' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of false are disloyal , faithless , perfidious , traitorous , and treacherous . While all these words mean "untrue to what should command one's fidelity or allegiance," false stresses the fact of failing to be true in any manner ranging from fickleness to cold treachery. // betrayed by false friends

Q: When is 'disloyal' a more appropriate choice than 'false'?

Although the words disloyal and false have much in common, disloyal implies a lack of complete faithfulness to a friend, cause, leader, or country. // disloyal to their country

Q: When is it sensible to use 'faithless' instead of 'false'?

The words faithless and false can be used in similar contexts, but faithless applies to any failure to keep a promise or pledge or any breach of allegiance or loyalty. // faithless allies

Q: How are the words 'perfidious' and 'faithless' related as synonyms of 'false'?

Perfidious adds to faithless the implication of an incapacity for fidelity or reliability. // a perfidious double-crosser

Q: Where would 'traitorous' be a reasonable alternative to 'false'?

In some situations, the words traitorous and false are roughly equivalent. However, traitorous implies either actual treason or a serious betrayal of trust. // traitorous acts punishable by death

Q: When can 'treacherous' be used instead of 'false'?

The synonyms treacherous and false are sometimes interchangeable, but treacherous implies readiness to betray trust or confidence. // a treacherous adviser

false

adjective

ˈfȯls

Definition of false

as in erroneous

not being in agreement with what is true early reports about the explosion contained much false information

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in faux

being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials George Washington's false teeth were not made of wood but of elephant ivory and cow's teeth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in counterfeit

being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud arrested for selling false ID cards to teenagers

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as in mock

lacking in natural or spontaneous quality so much of the sympathy that the widow received was false and hypocritical, since it came from people who never liked her husband in the first place

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as in fraudulent

marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value false advertising that claimed that the vegetables were organically grown when they weren't

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in traitorous

not true in one's allegiance to someone or something false friends who deserted the prizefighter when all his money was gone

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as in misleading

tending or having power to deceive it turned out that the con man had made false promises of marriage to a dozen women

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word false different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of false are disloyal, faithless, perfidious, traitorous, and treacherous. While all these words mean "untrue to what should command one's fidelity or allegiance," false stresses the fact of failing to be true in any manner ranging from fickleness to cold treachery.

betrayed by false friends

When is disloyal a more appropriate choice than false?

Although the words disloyal and false have much in common, disloyal implies a lack of complete faithfulness to a friend, cause, leader, or country.

disloyal to their country

When is it sensible to use faithless instead of false?

The words faithless and false can be used in similar contexts, but faithless applies to any failure to keep a promise or pledge or any breach of allegiance or loyalty.

faithless allies

How are the words perfidious and faithless related as synonyms of false?

Perfidious adds to faithless the implication of an incapacity for fidelity or reliability.

a perfidious double-crosser

Where would traitorous be a reasonable alternative to false?

In some situations, the words traitorous and false are roughly equivalent. However, traitorous implies either actual treason or a serious betrayal of trust.

traitorous acts punishable by death

When can treacherous be used instead of false?

The synonyms treacherous and false are sometimes interchangeable, but treacherous implies readiness to betray trust or confidence.

a treacherous adviser

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of false The tax evasion charge involved concealing income and filing false tax returns for that year, according to the indictment. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 The false gharial gets its moniker from its resemblance to the Indian gharial, despite being a different species. — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 Famously — or, more infamously in the wake of the company’s downfall — Holmes built Theranos on the false promise that hundreds of medical tests could be run from a single drop of blood. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026 Black, who is a vice president at a software development company, is aware that chatbots sometimes hallucinate — that's when chatbots respond to prompts with false, misleading or fabricated answers. — Maham Javaid, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for false

Recent Examples of Synonyms for false

Adjective

Instead, Denver retained possession and capitalized on the erroneous call to win.

— Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
That a reporter or two heard of this normal process led to the erroneous inference that a change of leadership is imminent.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of erroneous

Adjective

Floral garlands, vases, faux windows, buckets, and even a trompe-l’oeil lion skin evoke an atmosphere quite far removed from the typical imagery found in houses in this part of Italy.

— Elena Dallorso, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
This + a faux-fur coat + beloved leather pants + a 44-percent-off deal = your most head-turning (and wallet-sparing) ensemble to date.

— Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of faux

Adjective

Federal authorities said Long used fake tax documents and counterfeit business information to fraudulently apply for Paycheck Protection Program funds through his company, Priceless Preservations Construction.

— Paula Wethington, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
The best bill counter is the Aneken Money Counter Machine, which offers excellent features and can detect counterfeit bills.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of counterfeit

Adjective

About a dozen mock work stations broadcast the footage on small monitors, and visitors can study stacks of work-in-progress images that also function as flip books.

— Miles Socha, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
The long-sleeve mock-neck top and wide-leg pull-on pants are made from a lightweight, stretchy polyester-rayon blend with a soft, drapey feel, and the pants have side pockets.

— Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of mock

Adjective

Avira’s Browser Safety component installs as an extension for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Opera to keep the browser away from dangerous and fraudulent websites.

— Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026
Means also was found guilty on misdemeanor charges of presenting false or misleading information in support of an insurance claim and making a knowingly false or fraudulent statement to obtain workers’ compensation benefits.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of fraudulent

Adjective

Telemachus’ lone contribution is killing Melanthius, the traitorous Ithacan farmhand, thus preventing him from continuing to arm the suitors.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 17 July 2026
And at the very center of Hell is Satan himself, the traitorous Archangel Lucifer, depicted as a monstrous creature with wings and three heads.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 May 2026

Definition of traitorous

Adjective

The women, many of whom were first-time surrogates, say they were given misleading or incomplete information about the couple’s family situation and intentions.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Low primary turnout can also lead to unexpected results – and these results can create misleading perceptions of the election.

— Robert Boatright, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of misleading

Adjective

Markings depicted on an image of a Kalinga warrior from an indigenous group in the Philippines were inaccurate and none of the artists involved in creating the mural identified as Asian, Asian American or Pacific Islander.

— Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
These limitations could easily produce an analysis that is misleading or inaccurate.

— Euan Ashley, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of inaccurate

Browse Nearby Words

fall (to)

false

falsehood

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“False.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/false. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of false

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