From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbogusbo‧gus /ˈbəʊɡəs $ ˈboʊ-/ adjective PRETENDnot true or real, although someone is trying to make you think it is SYN false bogus insurance claims bogus applications for asylum
Examples from the Corpus
bogus• The right hon. Gentleman can not put a cost on his compassion, for it is bogus.• Can it indeed be bogus and worthless poetry that has obsessed critical reviewers for nearly twenty years?• The government has announced tough new measures to deal with bogus asylum-seekers.• It has also sent the West numerous doubtful and bogus defectors to muddy the waters.• a bogus driver's license• Many computer messages attacking the team and its owner were sent by people using bogus identities, Stesch said.• Just like Harry Sherman, the night of the attack by the bogus nurse, the thought occurred to him.• There has been a spate of incidents where bogus officials have called on the homes of elderly people.• The child was taken away from her parents by a bogus social worker.• Their offices are bogus, their elevation self-proclaimed.• Tommy's has had to fend off many bogus Tommy-wannabes over the years.From Longman Business Dictionarybogusbo‧gus /ˈbəʊgəsˈboʊ-/ adjective informalLAW not real, but dishonestly pretending to be something or someoneThey issue certificates of deposits, often based on fictitious assets such as bogus gold mines.bogus claims of injury by their workersOrigin bogus (1800-1900) bogus “machine for making illegal money” ((1800-1900))