phony disease

noun

, Plant Pathology.

1. a disease of peaches, characterized by dwarfing, dark-green leaves, premature leafing and flowering, and the production of reduced numbers of small fruit, caused by a virus, Nanus mirabilis.

Example Sentences

Some anti-vaccination extremists call COVID-19 a “phony” disease.

From Los Angeles Times

In an email to a senator who had criticized the board's mask mandate, he wrote, "I hope you and the legislators who support your effort will continue to stand for truth rather than the fantasy of a phony disease based on a false test."

From Salon

Canner ultimately concluded that the catch-all female sexual dysfunction is essentially a phony disease made up by pharmaceutical companies."A lot of this is about marketing," she says.

From Newsweek