From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishshamsham1 /ʃæm/ noun 1 [singular]PRETEND someone or something that is not what they are claimed to be – used to show disapproval The elections were a complete sham.2 [uncountable] literary when someone tries to make something or someone seem better than they really are It all turned out to be sham and hypocrisy.3 [countable] a cover for a pillow, especially one used for decoration
Examples from the Corpus
sham• She believed Rodney's sudden change in attitude was only a sham.• The election was a sham. Officials intimidated peasants into voting for the government candidates, or simply stuffed the ballot boxes.• He was a sham and a liar.• I carry no brief for smoking, but that report was a sham.• It all turned out to be sham and hypocrisy.• The competition has been exposed as a complete sham.• It was an open secret that the marriage had become a complete sham, Watson.• Our so-called democracy is a complete sham and an insult to the electorate.• These immigrants entered into sham marriages just to stay in the country.• The shams and the profiteers would also be passed over.shamsham2 adjective [only before noun] ARTIFICIALmade to appear real in order to deceive people SYN false a sham marriageExamples from the Corpus
sham• Here we go, Mitchell thought, still smiling with sham crusading fellowship of the heaven-bound yet unable to speak.• The suit said Streich Lang allowed Western to engage in sham real-estate deals that recorded bogus profits.shamsham3 verb (shammed, shamming) [intransitive, transitive] especially British English old-fashioned PRETENDto pretend to be upset, ill etc to gain sympathy or an advantage SYN feign She’s not ill, she’s only shamming.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
sham• But had he really been ill or had he been shamming, crafty sick to give himself extra time in Leeds?• He put them on, and peered round the room, hunching his shoulders, shamming the old scholar.• And they delivered these fibs with such facility that it was clear that shamming to outsiders was the habit of centuries.Origin sham (1600-1700) Perhaps from sham “shame” ((13-17 centuries)), from shame 