- present participle of feign.
feigning
Americannoun
adjective
Other Word Forms
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
Vocabulary lists containing feigning
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.
In some cases, bureaucrats resorted to ostentatious gestures and outright fraud, feigning adherence to unrealistic targets and masking underperformance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
In November, Leeds United boss Daniel Farke accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" and break up play.
From BBC ● May 31, 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
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
“At home,” Taran said—to himself, Eilonwy had already pulled a cloak over her head and was feigning sleep—“nothing ever happened. Now, everything happens. But somehow I can never seem to make it come out right.”
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
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.
