English Explanatory Dictionary

kayfabe

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The act, situation, or code of portraying staged events, performances, rivalries, etc as authentic or spontaneous.
  2. Similar fakery or suspension of disbelief in other contexts.
adj
  1. Of or related to kayfabe, especially forbidden to mention or show in order to maintain kayfabe.
verb
  1. To maintain kayfabe, to deceive by staying in character.

Pronunciation

/ˈkeɪfeɪb/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-kayfabe.wav /ˈkeɪˌfeɪb/ En-us-kayfabe.oga

Word forms

kayfabe Kay Fabe kay-fabe kafabe kayfabes kayfabing kayfabed

Etymology

Unknown, but attributed to US carnival slang (carny), usually as a purposefully obscure variant of the admonition “be fake” formed through backslang or mangled pig Latin. Also sometimes attributed to an alteration of cave (Latin for “beware”), keep cavey (“stay alert”), or an eponymous figure named Kay Fabe or Kay Fabian.

Synonyms

work theatrics worked

Antonyms

shoot

Derived words

kayfabian
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