DictionaryAI

fugazi

Sayfoo-GAH-zeeUS/fuˈɡɑzi/UK/fuˈɡɑːzi/

Noun pluralfugazis

3 meanings of fugazi

Practice

  1. 1
    fakeadjectiveslangUS
    Fake, not real.

    That watch is fugazi, so don't pay more than ten bucks for it.

    He tried to sell me fugazi concert tickets outside the stadium.

    Similarfake, counterfeit, phony, bogus

    Oppositegenuine, real, authentic

    Note
  2. 2
    a fakenounslangUScountable
    Something that is fake, or sometimes a person who is a fake.

    The jeweler looked at the ring for two seconds and said, "It's a fugazi."

    Don't trust him. The guy is a total fugazi.

    Similarfake, forgery, knockoff, phony

    Note
  3. 3
    messed upadjectiveslangUS
    Totally messed up, or so broken that it can't be fixed.

    The radio fell in the river, and now it's fugazi.

    I dropped my laptop down the stairs, and the screen is fugazi now.

    Similarbroken, busted, FUBAR, banjaxed

    Note

Practice

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Origins

Meaning 3

No one knows where it comes from. One idea is the French word fougasse, a kind of land mine used in the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

Meanings 1–2

The origin is uncertain; it is said to come from Mafia slang. The film Donnie Brasco (1997) made it popular.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts