feign

American  

[feyn] / feɪn /

verb (used with object)

• feigns,
  present (3rd person singular)
• feigned,
  past participle,  past
• feigning
  present participle

1. to represent fictitiously; put on an appearance of.

   to feign sickness.

2. to invent fictitiously or deceptively, as a story or an excuse.

3. to imitate deceptively.

   to feign another's voice.

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verb (used without object)

• feigns,
  present (3rd person singular)
• feigned,
  past participle,  past
• feigning
  present participle

1. to make believe; pretend.

   She's only feigning, she isn't really ill.

feign British  

/ feɪn /

verb

1. to put on a show of (a quality or emotion); pretend

   to feign innocence

2. (tr) to make up; invent

   to feign an excuse

3. (tr) to copy; imitate

   to feign someone's laugh

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Synonym Usage

See pretend.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• feigner
  noun
• feigningly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• feigning
  present
• feigned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• feign
  simple
• feigns
  simple
• have feigned
  perfect
• has feigned
  perfect
• am feigning
  progressive
• are feigning
  progressive
• is feigning
  progressive
• have been feigning
  perfect progressive
• has been feigning
  perfect progressive

Past

• feigned
  simple
• had feigned
  perfect
• was feigning
  progressive
• were feigning
  progressive
• had been feigning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will feign
  simple
• will have feigned
  perfect
• will be feigning
  progressive
• will have been feigning
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of feign

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English fei(g)nen, from Old French feign-, present stem of faindre, feindre, from Latin fingere “to feign, invent, shape”

Explanation

For a more formal way to say pretend to or imitate, choose the verb feign. You might feign indifference when you hear about some gossip, but you're probably dying to know. Feign comes from the Latin fingere, "to devise, fabricate." The word fiction comes from the same source, so if you feign something such as sleep, you give off the fiction that you are sleeping. This can be done to be polite but also to deceive such as when you feign an injury or the flu so you can stay home from school or work. You can also feign an accent, though some are better at this than others.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

feign feigns feigned feigning

“It’s almost laughable for the president of Mexico to feign ignorance” about CIA activities in Mexico, said Gilberto Gonzalez, a former DEA agent who worked here in the 1980s and 1990s.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

Our civilization shouldn’t feign excessive humility and modesty while America inspires creative drive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025

It’s weird to be paranoid or to feign paranoia as part of an elaborate performance to manipulate rubes.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2025

I would feign shock or dismay at its popularity if I didn’t already know that we are a nation of self-serving masochists.

From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2025

I can no longer even feign being cool and detached.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

Lydia, who craves to be seen by her family, feigns craving death because of her relationship with Barbara and Adam, who live in the afterlife.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2024

A burst of laughter and applause erupts from the crowd as he feigns confusion by turning and pointing to invisible supporters, as if he does not realize his back is to them.

From New York Times ● Oct. 30, 2023

At one point in the clip, he hides in a bullet train toilet and feigns illness when confronted by a conductor.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2023

Noonan feigns surprise at the turnabout while crediting others for his team’s accomplishments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2023

Slant watches over us all; Charles feigns sleep.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

The antics of the “bewitched” girls are so clearly feigned that the audience can recognize the corrupt motivations of the powerful people who are feeding the frenzy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

I kind of knew that, but when she had that reaction, which was not feigned at all, that was like a shot of advice from the heart.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026

As those scenes played in New York, Swift affectionately turned to Saunders and yelled, "YES!" as he giggled and covered his face in feigned shyness.

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2025

For real — not like the astonishment Zoë Kravitz feigned in a Golden Globes-set episode of “The Studio,” faking disbelief at the podium when she knew all along that she was going to win.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2025

Surprised that this woman would be calling him at work, our father feigned enthusiasm as best he could.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

"Showing awareness could suggest a degree of mutual understanding," but feigning ignorance signals that the issue could become a key bargaining point in any future talks with Trump, Hong said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Manager Dave Roberts and his pitching coaches haven’t been particularly forthcoming, either, feigning ignorance about the glove that looks as big as Sasaki’s head.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Spaeny: It’s what every actor is thinking except they’re feigning ...

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

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

I copy her finger motion, feigning ignorance, even though I know what she’s talking about.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam