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
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.
She fell to the ground and, according to her account, feigned death.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Nevertheless, a judge was impressed, or feigned to be, with an obviously disingenuous antitrust claim.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
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
When a press release informed me Howie had scheduled a brief homecoming, I feigned a news hook: If I could interview him by phone, I would write a feature about "Stuck Rubber Baby."
From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2025
So I feigned interest in flowery descriptions of thwarted romance and complicated sacrifice all the way back to the main road, where Lula turned off to her house while Travis strenuously waved goodbye.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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.
