Synonyms

feigning

American

[fey-ning] / feɪ nɪŋ /

noun

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.

adjective

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

Verstappen challenged Norris for the first few laps, even feigning an overtaking attempt on the Briton at one point, but eventually began to drop back complaining of bouncing and jumping from his car.

From BBC

“There was not a trace of feigning good humor about him.”

From Salon

She was constantly feigning umbrage, often at the silliest moments.

From Salon

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023