English Reference
Noun

faker

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US /ˈfeɪkɝ/ UK /fˈeɪkɐ/ fak·er UK spelling fakers Military

n.a person who pretends to be sick or hurt to avoid doing something they do not want to do. This word is mostly used in the past to describe soldiers who faked injuries to stay out of battle.

n.a person who feigns illness or injury to avoid a duty or obligation. Historically associated with military contexts, particularly the practice of 'feigning wounds' to evade combat.


SIMPLE

The officer suspected the soldier was a faker.

CONTEXTUAL

During the long march, several men were caught as fakers who had pretended to be too weak to continue.

COMPLEX

The regiment's surgeon was tasked with identifying the faker among the wounded, as the commander feared that deserters were returning to the camp under the guise of medical incapacity.

Even in an early Marlovian play such as Henry VI Part Two, there is a wonderful scene where the seemingly sightless Simpcox is exposed as a faker.

The Guardian· 11 Aug 2026

From fake + -er.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C2 · Proficiency
Frequency Occasional
Updated