feigned
Americanadjective
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pretended; sham; counterfeit.
feigned enthusiasm.
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assumed; fictitious.
a feigned name.
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disguised.
a feigned voice.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of feigned
Explanation
Feigned is an adjective that means "not genuine," like your feigned interest in your friends' discussion of celebrity hairstyle trends. The word feigned, pronounce "faynd," comes from the Old French word feign, which means "pretend, imitate, shirk." Feigned emotions aren't real, and therefore, they are a bit dishonest. You act like you care but you really don't. Maybe you are just being nice, like your feigned enthusiasm for your dad's woodworking projects — you know how much he enjoys it, so why not act interested?
Vocabulary lists containing feigned
Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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The Kite Runner
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Twelfth Night
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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.
Feigned ignorance was merely part of her repertoire.
From Time • Nov. 29, 2
Feigned compliance is the term used by Lucian Pye, a political scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to describe such self-protective make-believe and the obedience it spawns.
From Time Magazine Archive
Dryden has imitated The Blunderer in Sir Martin Mar-all; or the Feigned Innocence, first translated by William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle, and afterwards adapted for the stage by "glorious John."
From The Blunderer by Molière
My artful little fingers then Feigned labor with the ink and pen, But heart and mind were far away, Engaged in some glad bit of play.
From Just Folks by Guest, Edgar A. (Edgar Albert)
Feigned Zeal, you saw, set out the speedier pace; But the last heat, Plain Dealing won the race: Plain Dealing for a jewel has been known; But ne'er till now the jewel of a crown.
From The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 07 by Scott, Walter, Sir
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.
