They just fake smiles to each other, practice hypocrisy or just pretend to be kind or polite. Is it idiomatic to call this interactions "putting on a phony show " or "acting to be kind" or something?
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can I use ingratiating?– MERCommented Dec 6, 2022 at 9:25
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1Have you looked it up in the dictionary? Does the definition you find suit your purpose?– Kate BuntingCommented Dec 6, 2022 at 10:45
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NO， I haven't found any。I just saw the translation and find them weird.– MERCommented Dec 6, 2022 at 13:45
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If the person who they are pretending to be nice to is in a higher position than them, you might use the word sycophant or yes-man.– Tom VCommented Dec 8, 2022 at 23:31
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2idiom: to put on an act– LambieCommented Dec 9, 2022 at 20:03
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2 Answers
One name for this behaviour is disingenuity or disingenuousness, although it is more common to use the related adjective and say that a person is being disingenuous.
It means giving a false appearance; having behaviour or words that conceal real feelings.
answered Dec 9, 2022 at 18:11
These sorts are often quite simply called "fake friends" in the U.S.
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2That's not the name of the behaviour and does not answer the OP's question. Commented Dec 9, 2022 at 18:09