feigning

American  

[fey-ning] / feɪ nɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of pretending or putting on a show in order to deceive.

   The feigning of hurt feelings is just a manipulative ploy she uses.

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adjective

1. putting on a show in order to deceive; pretending.

   “It hurts,” moaned the feigning child on the floor, gripping her ankle in a convincing display of pain.

Other Word Forms

• feigningly
  adverb
• unfeigning
  adjective
• unfeigningly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of feigning

First recorded in 1350–1400; feign ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; feign ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

However, the “Hannah Montana” star did not end her mockery there—going on to accuse Cooper of feigning innocence about the proximity of their properties.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Crisis actor is a derogatory label used by conspiracy theorists to allege that someone is deceiving the public -- feigning injuries or death -- while posing as a victim of a tragic event.

From Barron's • Dec. 16, 2025

Colton said she could not have imagined such a possibility when she sat in school, feigning that she had no answers to teachers’ questions simply because she could not see the board.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025

And yet, many also practice the human tendency of feigning blindness concerning topics too unpleasant to confront directly.

From Salon • Aug. 4, 2025

Finally, feigning indifference, he pointed to the wreath and grumbled to Roger Morris, “Where’d you get the hay?”

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• cover-up
• deceit
• deception
• dishonesty
• distortion
• fabrication
• fakery
• fallacy
• falsity
• misstatement
• perjury
• prevarication
• sham
• tall tale
• untruth