Phrase guide

phony as a three-dollar bill

adj · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Extremely phony; fake; dishonest; completely bogus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Qualifier: simile; set phrase; simile; set phrase

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

As three-dollar bills do not exist. (The Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Co. in Ohio issued unofficial three-dollar bills during a banking crisis but they were never legitimate.)

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: kiero kuin korkkiruuvi — Translations
  • French: être faux comme un jeton — Translations
  • German: so falsch wie ein falscher Fünfziger — Translations
  • German: so falsch wie ein falscher Fuffziger — Translations
  • Spanish: más falso que un duro sevillano — Translations
  • Spanish: más falso que un duro de madera — Translations
  • Spanish: más falso que Judas — Translations