pretend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to cause or attempt to cause (what is not so) to seem so.
to pretend illness; to pretend that nothing is wrong.
- Synonyms:
- counterfeit , sham , fake , simulate
-
to appear falsely, as to deceive; feign.
to pretend to go to sleep.
-
to make believe.
The children pretended to be cowboys.
-
to presume; venture.
I can't pretend to say what went wrong.
-
to allege or profess, especially insincerely or falsely.
He pretended to have no knowledge of her whereabouts.
verb (used without object)
-
to make believe.
-
to lay claim to (usually followed byto ).
She pretended to the throne.
-
to make pretensions (usually followed byto ).
He pretends to great knowledge.
-
Obsolete. to aspire, as a suitor or candidate (followed byto ).
adjective
verb
-
(when tr, usually takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to claim or allege (something untrue)
-
(tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to make believe, as in a play
you pretend to be Ophelia
-
to present a claim, esp a dubious one
to pretend to the throne
-
obsolete to aspire as a candidate or suitor (for)
adjective
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Related Words
Pretend, affect, assume, feign imply an attempt to create a false appearance. To pretend is to create an imaginary characteristic or to play a part: to pretend sorrow. To affect is to make a consciously artificial show of having qualities that one thinks would look well and impress others: to affect shyness. To assume is to take on or put on a specific outward appearance, often (but not always) with intent to deceive: to assume an air of indifference. To feign implies using ingenuity in pretense, and some degree of imitation of appearance or characteristics: to feign surprise.
Etymology
Origin of pretend
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English pretenden, from Latin praetendere “to stretch forth, put forward, pretend.” See pre-, tend 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Scam text messages often pretend to be from large companies such as utility companies, banks or supermarkets.
From BBC
Judge Williams said Villafane charmed his partner and pretended to be caring and generous.
From BBC
"I know that maintaining these thresholds is a decision that will affect working people, I said that last year and I won't pretend otherwise now," she told MPs.
From BBC
You can even pretend to switch the gears in models with the steering wheel-mounted shift paddles.
From MarketWatch
I’m thankful for nights on the couch with my roommates watching “Dancing With the Stars,” when we all pretend to be expert judges and forget about whatever exam or project is waiting for us.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
