palm off
trick someone into taking something bad or unwanted
What does "palm sth off" mean?
Examples
- The market trader tried to palm off a fake designer bag as the real thing.
- They palmed us off with a vague promise instead of a proper refund.
- He was furious when he realised he'd been palmed off with a cheap imitation.
How to use it
Used when the focus is on misrepresenting something — presenting a fake or inferior item as something genuine or valuable.
The dealer tried to palm off a mass-produced print as an original lithograph.
Used when the focus is on the person being deceived — they are given something unsatisfactory instead of what they deserve.
The complaints department palmed every customer off with the same scripted apology.
When the object is a pronoun, it sits between 'palm' and 'off' rather than after the particle.
The watch looked expensive, but he'd palmed it off on an unsuspecting tourist for a fraction of its supposed value.
The passive is natural when the emphasis is on the experience of the person deceived, especially in complaints.
We were palmed off with a vague assurance that someone would 'look into it' — and never heard another word.
'Try to' collocates very naturally with this phrasal verb, capturing the sense that the deception may not always succeed.
She tried to palm off the cracked vase as a rare antique, but the auctioneer wasn't fooled.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
Use 'palm off X as Y' when misrepresenting an object, and 'palm someone off with X' when focusing on the person who receives the inferior thing. Swapping these produces unnatural sentences.
'Palm off' always implies deliberate deception. Using it for honest mistakes or misunderstandings is unnatural in English.
These are very close in meaning, but 'fob off' is more natural when someone is dismissed with excuses or evasions rather than physically given an inferior object. In most contexts involving counterfeit goods or inferior products, 'palm off' is the stronger choice.
Usage
This phrasal verb is informal and more common in British English than American English. It always implies intentional deception, so avoid using it for accidental mistakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'palm off' always involve physical objects like fake goods?
Not always — while it is most vivid in contexts involving counterfeit or inferior goods, 'palm off' can also describe giving someone an unsatisfactory excuse, a hollow promise, or a non-answer instead of something substantive. The key element is always intentional deception, not the physical nature of what is passed on.
Is 'palm off' mainly British English? Would Americans understand it?
It is predominantly British English and most commonly heard in British spoken and informal written contexts. American English speakers are more likely to use 'pass off' or 'fob off' in similar situations. That said, 'palm off' is widely enough known that it would not confuse most proficient American speakers.
Can 'palm off' describe a situation where the deceiver doesn't succeed?
Yes — and in fact 'try to palm off' is one of the most natural constructions precisely because the attempt is not always successful. You can say someone 'tried to palm off a forgery' even if the buyer spotted the fraud immediately.
Is there a sense of 'palm off' where the object being palmed off is a person rather than a thing?
Yes, though that is a separate sense not covered here. In that use, someone is redirected or sent away to another person or department rather than helped directly. This entry focuses only on the sense of deceiving someone into accepting something inferior or false — a separate section on this page covers the other senses.
Ready to practise?
Practise 1,000+ English phrasal verbs with interactive gap-fill exercises.
Start Practising →