Meanings
plural fauxgressives
- derogatorygovernmentAn alleged progressive person, but who actually acts like a conservative.
“Bill de Blasio is an elitist, New York City corporate Democrat fauxgressive, masquerading around South Carolina as a progressive,” said John Samuelson, president of Transport Workers Union.
2019 March 8, Carl Campanile, quoting John Samuelson, “Transit union blasts de Blasio as ‘fauxgressive’ ahead of primary season”, in New York Post
comparative more fauxgressive · superlative most fauxgressive
- derogatorygovernmentAllegedly, but not actually, progressive.
With their fauxgressive covers officially blown, Twitter is blowing up with stories about the disturbing new dating trend.
2020 July 30, Ben Cost, “Wokefish’ dating trend: Shady men are pretending to be progressive on apps”, in New York Post1 more example
In many spaces, the term functions now as performative fauxgressive politeness—as one of the many buzzwords such as intersectionality or systemic that one can drop, with little understanding, to display her wokeness.
2019 February 13, Rachelle Hampton, “Which People?”, in Slate
Origin
Blend of faux + progressive.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with fauxgressive
Cite this entry
fauxgressive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fauxgressive
“fauxgressive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fauxgressive. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fauxgressive,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fauxgressive.
Source: fauxgressive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.