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feint

[ feynt ]
/ feɪnt /
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See synonyms for: feint / feinted / feinting on Thesaurus.com
noun
a movement made in order to deceive an adversary; an attack aimed at one place or point merely as a distraction from the real place or point of attack: military feints; the feints of a skilled fencer.
a feigned or assumed appearance: His air of approval was a feint to conceal his real motives.
verb (used without object)
to make a feint: He feinted left, then struck his opponent with a roar.
verb (used with object)
to make a feint at; deceive with a feint.
to make a false show of; simulate.
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Origin of feint

First recorded in 1670–80; from French feinte, from Old French feinte “fabrication,” noun use of feminine of feint “pretended,” past participle of feindre; see origin at feign

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH feint

fain, faint, feign, feint

Words nearby feint

feigning, feijoa, feijoada, Feininger, feinschmecker, feint, feints, Feira de Santana, feirie, Feisal I, Feisal II
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to feint

ruse, artifice, bait, blind, bluff, cheat, deceit, distraction, dodge, duck, expedient, fake, gambit, hoax, hoodwinking, imposture, make believe, maneuver, play, ploy

How to use feint in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for feint (1 of 2)

feint1
/ (feɪnt) /
noun
a mock attack or movement designed to distract an adversary, as in a military manoeuvre or in boxing, fencing, etc
a misleading action or appearance
verb
(intr) to make a feint

Word Origin for feint

C17: from French feinte, from feint pretended, from Old French feindre to feign

British Dictionary definitions for feint (2 of 2)

feint2
/ (feɪnt) /
noun
printing the narrowest rule used in the production of ruled paper

Word Origin for feint

C19: variant of faint
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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