/ ʃæm; NAmE / noun , adjective , verb
■ noun ( disapproving )
1.
[ sing. ] a situation, feeling, system, etc. that is not as good or true as it seems to be :
The latest crime figures are a complete sham.
2.
[ C , usually sing. ] a person who pretends to be sth that they are not
3.
[ U ] behaviour, feelings, words, etc. that are intended to make sb/sth seem to be better than they really are :
Their promises turned out to be full of sham and hypocrisy.
■ adjective
[ only before noun ] (usually disapproving ) not genuine but intended to seem real
SYN false :
a sham marriage
■ verb
( -mm- ) to pretend sth :
[ v ]
Is he really sick or is he just shamming?
[also v - adj , vn ]
••
WORD ORIGIN
late 17th cent.: perhaps a northern English dialect variant of the noun shame .