Ersatz
hardNegative toneER-zahts
adjective
Definition
Made or used as an inferior substitute for something genuine
Memory hook
ER-SATZ: 'Er, that's not the real thing' — an inferior substitute pretending to be genuine.
Examples
“During the war, people drank ersatz coffee made from chicory.”
“The ersatz leather looked cheap and flimsy.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“During the war, people drank ______ coffee made from chicory.”
Show answer
ersatz
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Ersatz is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "artificial" or "imitation" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "genuine".
Related GRE Words
spurious
Not genuine; false or fake
apocryphal
Of doubtful authenticity; widely circulated but probably untrue
bogus
Not genuine or true; fake
bona fide
Genuine; real; made in good faith without fraud or deceit
genuine
Truly what something is said to be; authentic; sincere
aberrant
Deviating from what is normal or expected
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