pretender

American  

[pri-ten-der] / prɪˈtɛn dər /

noun

1. a person who pretends, especially for a dishonest purpose.

2. an aspirant or claimant (often followed byto ).

   a pretender to the throne.

3. a person who makes unjustified or false claims, statements, etc., as about personal status, abilities, intentions, or the like.

   a pretender to literary genius.

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pretender British  

/ prɪˈtɛndə /

noun

1. a person who pretends or makes false allegations

2. a person who mounts a claim, as to a throne or title

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Etymology

Origin of pretender

First recorded in 1585–95; pretend + -er ¹

Example Sentences

And I have The Pretender by Foo Fighters as my competition song - I only play it at comps, that helps me switch off.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

Soon after “A Pretender God” came another piece, “Cannon Fodder,” which showed a child in a Guy Fawkes mask standing in the middle of a railroad track, a slingshot raised at an oncoming train.

From New York Times • Jul. 7, 2021

Hynde writes about the attack in her new memoir, "Reckless: My Life as a Pretender."

From US News • Sep. 4, 2015

For his curious "Pretender," the artist harnessed Parton's cover of "The Great Pretender" to create a wobbly version in which her voice drunkenly moves down to male tenor and bass.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2014

"The Pretender, a farce in two Acts, by Charlotte Maria Tucker," is published in Miss Giberne's biography.

From Women Novelists of Queen Victoria's Reign A Book of Appreciations by Alexander, Mrs.