ring false

ring false

To seem or sound false, insincere, inauthentic, or deceitful. (Much less common than the opposite, "ring true.") I personally think that their reasoning rings a bit false. The actor's vacuous, overblown performance is sure to ring false for anyone who grew up in that part of the country.
See also: false, ring

ring true

To seem or sound true, sincere, or authentic. I personally don't think that their reasoning rings true. The actress's stirring performance really rings true for anyone who has gone through similar circumstances.
See also: ring, true
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

ring true

Fig. to sound or seem true or likely. (From testing the quality of metal or glass by striking it and evaluating the sound made.) The student's excuse for being late doesn't ring true. Do you think that Mary's explanation for her absence rang true?
See also: ring, true
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

ring false

Also, have a false or hollow ring ; strike a false note. Seem wrong or deceitful, as in Her denial rings false-I'm sure she was there when it happened, or His good wishes always seem to have a hollow ring, or Carol's congratulatory phone call really struck a false note. Ring false and the antonym, ring true, which means "seem genuine," allude to the old practice of judging a coin genuine or fake by the sound it gives out when tapped. This practice became obsolete when coins ceased to be made of precious metals, but by then the idioms were being used to refer to other matters. [Mid-1800s]
See also: false, ring

ring true

see under ring false.
See also: ring, true
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

ring true

If something that is said or written rings true, it seems to be true or sincere. It is Mandela's argument that rings true to American ears. When I first heard his reasons, they didn't ring true. Compare with ring hollow.
See also: ring, true
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

ring ˈtrue/ˈfalse/ˈhollow

seem true/false/insincere: What you’ve said about Jim just doesn’t ring true. Are we talking about the same person? His apology rings a little hollow.
See also: false, hollow, ring, true
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • ring true
  • ring true/false/hollow
  • under false pretenses
  • on false pretenses
  • pretence
  • pretense
  • by false pretenses
  • by/on/under false pretences
  • colour
  • false
References in periodicals archive
Houthi claims that they launched their coup in 2014 to restore justice ring false. To start with, Houthi representatives were part of the transitional process, easily the greatest democratic exercise in Yemeni history.
Rebel with a cause, or religious zealot bent on total victory?
It is one of very few claims that ring false in this excellent new entry from Literature Now.
Orhan Pamuk and the Good of World Literature
The film's insistent feel-goodery and occasional nods to feminism (delivered by a spunky blue-haired hacker emoji, voiced by Anna Faris) ring false. Product-placement mashups Toy Story and The Lego Movie had the purity of playtime to seal in the sentimentality; somehow it's not as endearing in a film built around the apps we use to kill time while sat on the toilet.
'The Emoji Movie' film review: A big thumb down
The oath is likely to ring false to fans after the scandal of government-orchestrated cheating in Russia.
high energy gala at opening of rio games
The Electronic Payments Association has contended the retailer's complaints about the settlement ring false because retailers who brought suit had been present in all the negotiations.
Retailers appeal card settlement
Nerissa has few redeeming qualities, which makes all the attention she attracts ring false. If Howard were shooting for strong but conflicted, she fell desperately short at self-absorbed and ugly-mean.
Howard, Amalie. Waterfell Book 1 of The Aquarathi
There are a couple of moments that ring false (even if they did really happen), as when she uses a smart-mouth profanity in front of CIA director Leon Panetta (James Gandolfini).
Gangster Squad
Yet even if every word of Coogler's account of the last day in Grant's life held up under close scrutiny, the film would still ring false in its relentlessly positive portrayal of its subject.
Fruitvale
Forgiveness without limit and forgiveness from the heart are two of Christianity's most staggering challenges; nevertheless, to refuse these challenges or to try to skirt or ignore them would make our claim to belong to God ring false. If we have come to this week's sacred texts looking for some respite, we will not find it because Deutero-Isaiah and the Matthean Jesus will continue to call us to be more authentic reflections of the God whose ways and thoughts are so unlike our awn.
Merit or grace?
Yet with the recent announcement that Lombard's personality and poor management style is to blame for the deaths of employees, among FT's other woes, the assertion of "pure business" starts to ring false.
France Telecom CEO steps down spurs speculation
Non-Western artists, however, were not the first group to encounter such a double bind: Feminists did so before them, and found a solution in the rallying cry "the personal is political," an insight which is finally what is missing from Echakhch's striking installations, and whose absence makes a bold image ring false.
Latifa Echakhch: Galerie Kamel Mennour
They offer statements to the public, sounding sincere and concerned, but if their actions fail to support their statements, their initial message will soon ring false. In this situation, too, backlash against the company can cause a secondary crisis that could have been contained with the appropriate action.
Across the pond: Harrison Monarth asks whether $37bn in employee misunderstandings is a communications gap or a full-blown crisis
These many nature passages contain the best writing in the book; they rarely ring false or strain too hard; they are strikingly, simply, eloquent.
A Canadian Pilgrimage: a 20-year-old woman crosses Canada alone on horseback--in 1949
On Monk originals like "Epistrophy" and "Crepuscule with Nellie," and the dazzling nine-minute version of the standard "Sweet and Lovely," Coltrane eagerly bends the sturdy melodies, inserting notes that might ring false in less skilled hands.
At Carnegie Hall
Some of the book's statements about Scottish education must ring false to those who experienced it before the author did.
A stimulating look at Scotland's recent history