What does faux in French mean?

What is the meaning of the word faux in French? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use faux in French.

The word faux in French means false, wrong, fake, counterfeit, imitation, forgery, falsehood, untruth, scythe, false, mistaken, wrong, deceitful, out of tune, off-key, falx, almost did , nearly did, fail to keep , not hold to, fail in, get it all wrong, look a little like, You have a point, sing out of tune, separate fact and fiction, tell fact from fiction, distinguish between reality and fantasy, give false hope, give false hope to, in a difficult position, overhanging, be two-faced, be deceitful, stand up, make a wrong move, dial the wrong number, dial a wrong number, trip up, make a misstep, make a wrong move, put a foot wrong, bear false witness, false friend, misalignment, forged note, fake note, fake eyelash, false collar, bad contact, faulty contact, bustle, false beginner, false start, two-faced rat, two-faced so-and-so, who pretends to be pious, who feigns virtue, false hope, forgery and fraud, fake fire, traitor, false imparisyllabic noun, hypocrite, fraternal twins, pull, false nose, false hem, faux pas, false ceiling, suspended ceiling, slight uphill stretch, false flat, crease, kink, ruck, not the issue, continuity error, jump cut, bad bounce, drone, faux-bourdon, hypocrite, sirloin steak, accessory fruit, false fruit, excuse, pretext, counterfeiting, forger, counterfeiter, subterfuge, mistranslation, half-title, play out of tune, act poorly, act badly, put in awkward situation, dwarf fan palm, unstable position, not for real, fake, tell a lie to get at the truth, entirely refute, flatly deny, put yourself in an awkward situation, not ring true, sound odd, under a false name, toupee, hairpiece. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word faux

false

adjectif (pas vrai)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Cet homme portait une fausse barbe.
The man was wearing a false beard.

wrong

adjectif (pas exact, pas correct)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
J'ai tapé un code faux et ma carte est bloquée.
I put in the wrong PIN and my card has been blocked.

fake, counterfeit, imitation, forgery

nom masculin (contrefaçon)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Ce tableau est un faux.
This painting is a fake.

falsehood, untruth

nom masculin (ce qui est faux)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Il faut parfois plaider le faux pour savoir le vrai.
Sometimes, you have to argue what is false to know what is true.

scythe

nom féminin (outil agraire pour couper)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Le paysan coupe l'herbe haute en balançant sa faux.
The farmer is cutting the long grass with strokes of his scythe.

false, mistaken, wrong

adjectif (infondée)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
C'était une fausse peur car ce serpent est inoffensif.
It was a mistaken fear, because the snake wasn't poisonous.

deceitful

adjectif (qui cherche à tromper, louche)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Je ne l'aime pas, il a un regard faux.
I don't like him; he has a deceitful expression.

out of tune, off-key

adverbe (Musique : pas correct)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
Ce choriste chante faux !
That chorister is singing out of tune.

falx

nom féminin (membrane du cerveau)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La faux du cerveau sépare les deux hémisphères.
The cerebral falx separates the two hemispheres of the brain.

almost did , nearly did

verbe transitif (avoir manqué de faire)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
J'ai failli avoir un accident en venant ce matin au bureau. // Quand sa fille lui a annoncé son déménagement, Gérard a failli tomber de sa chaise.
When his daughter told him she was moving out, Gerry all but fell off his chair.

fail to keep , not hold to

verbe transitif indirect (littéraire (ne pas tenir : une promesse, un engagement)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Le jeune homme a failli à sa promesse de mariage.
The young man failed to keep his promise of marriage.

fail in

verbe transitif indirect (littéraire (manquer à : un devoir)

Ce soldat a failli à son devoir.
The soldier failed in his duty.

get it all wrong

locution verbale (se tromper complètement)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

look a little like

locution verbale (ressembler à)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

You have a point

(c'est bien vrai)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

sing out of tune

locution verbale (chanter de façon discordante)

Quand quelqu'un chante faux, on dit qu'il va pleuvoir.

separate fact and fiction

locution verbale (faire la part des informations) (colloquial)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")

tell fact from fiction

locution verbale (faire la part des informations)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

distinguish between reality and fantasy

locution verbale (faire la part des informations)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

give false hope, give false hope to

(laisser [qqn] espérer)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

in a difficult position

locution adverbiale (figuré (dans une situation délicate)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Elle est en porte-à-faux car elle est la sœur de l'accusée et amie avec la plaignante.

overhanging

locution adverbiale (soutenu d'un seul côté)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Notre bureau est en porte-à-faux au-dessus du quai de livraison.

be two-faced, be deceitful

locution verbale (rare (être hypocrite)

stand up

locution verbale (manquer à un engagement) (informal)

(phrasal verb, transitive, separable: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning, divisible--for example, "call off" [=cancel], "call the game off," "call off the game.")
Je devais la voir à 10 heures mais elle m'a fait faux bond. Je suis désolé de te faire faux bond comme ça au dernier moment mais ma fille est malade et je dois rester à la maison pour la garder.

make a wrong move

locution verbale (faire un geste provoquant une douleur)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
J'ai fait un faux mouvement en voulant soulever une caisse et je me suis fait mal au dos.

dial the wrong number, dial a wrong number

locution verbale (se tromper de numéro de téléphone)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Allô, M. Dupont ? Ah, non ? Excusez-moi, j'ai dû faire un faux numéro. Désolée, je ne suis pas Mme Martin, vous avez dû faire un faux numéro.

trip up

locution verbale (manquer de tomber)

(phrasal verb, intransitive: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning and not taking direct object--for example, "make up" [=reconcile]: "After they fought, they made up.")

make a misstep, make a wrong move, put a foot wrong

locution verbale (figuré (faire une erreur) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

bear false witness

locution verbale (ne pas témoigner de la vérité) (literary)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

false friend

nom masculin (mot proche de sens différent)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
« Actuellement » et « actually » sont des faux amis : « actually » ne veut pas dire « actuellement » mais « en fait ».

misalignment

nom masculin (défaut de verticalité)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

forged note, fake note

nom masculin (monnaie contrefaite) (UK)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

fake eyelash

nom masculin (maquillage: cil postiche)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

false collar

nom masculin (accessoire vestimentaire, col factice)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

bad contact, faulty contact

nom masculin (connexion électrique intermittente)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

bustle

nom masculin (Histoire : rembourrage sous la robe) (under a dress)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

false beginner

nom masculin (ancien pratiquant qui reprend [qch])

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

false start

nom masculin (course : départ avant le signal)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
En natation, un seul faux départ disqualifie le nageur.

two-faced rat, two-faced so-and-so

nom masculin et féminin (argot (hypocrite)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

who pretends to be pious, who feigns virtue

nom masculin (personne qui feint la dévotion)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Tartuffe est un personnage de faux dévot.
Tartuffe is a character who pretends to be pious.

false hope

nom masculin (espoir déçu)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

forgery and fraud

nom masculin (type de délit)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

fake fire

nom masculin (feu factice décoratif)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

traitor

nom masculin ([qqn] qui se désolidarise)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Je ne veux plus jamais parler à ce faux frère !

false imparisyllabic noun

nom masculin (Grammaire latin : type de mot) (grammar)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Le nom latin « urbs » est un faux imparisyllabique.

hypocrite

nom masculin (personne hypocrite)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

fraternal twins

nom masculin pluriel (jumeaux dizygotes)

(plural noun: Noun always used in plural form--for example, "jeans," "scissors.")

pull

nom masculin (geste non souhaité) (muscle)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")

false nose

nom masculin (déguisement sur le nez)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Il s'est affublé d'un faux nez et de lunettes pour jouer les clowns.

false hem

nom masculin (ajout de tissu au niveau d'un ourlet)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

faux pas

nom masculin (figuré (erreur) (Gallicism)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Son faux pas a créé un incident diplomatique.
Her faux pas has created a diplomatic incident.

false ceiling, suspended ceiling

nom masculin (2e plafond plus bas)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Le faux plafond masque les imperfections du vrai plafond.

slight uphill stretch, false flat

nom masculin (très légère montée)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

crease, kink, ruck

nom masculin (vêtement : pli mal placé)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

not the issue

nom masculin (problème non gênant)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

continuity error, jump cut

nom masculin (film : erreur entre deux plans) (Cinema)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

bad bounce

nom masculin (rebond dans une direction imprévue) (Sports)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

drone

nom masculin (mâle de l'abeille)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Les faux-bourdons sont exclus des ruches.

faux-bourdon

nom masculin (Musique : chant à plusieurs voix)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Le faux-bourdon est un chant d'église à trois voix.

hypocrite

nom masculin et féminin (familier (hypocrite)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Quel faux-cul, celui-là ! Il vient juste de me dire le contraire !

sirloin steak

nom masculin (viande : contre-filet)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Aujourd'hui, nous ferons des faux-filets sauce marchand de vin.

accessory fruit, false fruit

nom masculin (produit d'une reproduction complexe) (botany)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Les faux-fruits sont issus de la paroi de l'ovaire et d'un autre élément.

excuse, pretext

nom masculin (moyen détourné)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Elle a fini par trouver un faux-fuyant pour éviter cette soirée ennuyeuse.

counterfeiting

nom masculin (fabrication de fausse monnaie)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Le faux-monnayage est sévèrement puni par la loi.

forger, counterfeiter

nom masculin (fabricant de fausse monnaie)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Tintin a trouvé des faux-monnayeurs sur l'île noire.

subterfuge

nom masculin (prétexte fallacieux)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Ses faux-semblants ne me convainquent plus.

mistranslation

nom masculin invariable (erreur sur le sens d'un mot)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Beaucoup font un faux-sens avec les mots morbide et conséquent.

half-title

nom masculin (Imprimerie : page avec le titre)

Le faux-titre est toujours écrit en plus petit que le titre.

play out of tune

locution verbale (musique : ne pas être dans le ton)

act poorly, act badly

locution verbale (acteur : mal jouer un rôle)

put in awkward situation

locution verbale (mettre dans une situation délicate)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

dwarf fan palm

nom masculin (palmier nain) (tree)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

unstable position

nom masculin (position instable)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Cette caisse est en porte-à-faux

not for real, fake

locution adverbiale (enfantin (de façon simulée)

tell a lie to get at the truth

locution verbale (chercher la vérité en mentant)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

entirely refute, flatly deny

(soutenu (contester)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")

put yourself in an awkward situation

(se mettre dans une situation délicate)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

not ring true, sound odd

locution verbale (figuré (manquer de sincérité)

under a false name

locution adverbiale (avec un nom d'emprunt)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
L'espion s'est inscrit sous un faux nom.

toupee, hairpiece

nom masculin (petit postiche, petite perruque) (fake hair)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Mon père portait un toupet pour masquer sa calvitie.
My father wore a toupee (or: hairpiece) to hide his baldness.

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