feint

[ feynt ]

/ feɪnt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR feint 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.

verb (used with object)

to make a feint at; deceive with a feint.

to make a false show of; simulate.

Nearby words

Origin of feint

1275–1325; Middle English < Old French feinte, noun use of feminine of feint pretended, past participle of feindre to feign

Can be confusedfain faint feign feint

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for feinted

Incurring the wrath of the nihilists early, he feinted right.
The Forgotten Russian: The Genius of Nikolai Leskov|Benjamin Lytal|April 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They feinted a mimic—like Gore, Romney strode to the podium across the convention floor.
Romney’s Lame Speech Might Have Gone Better Had He Learned From Bush 1 and Al Gore|Robert Shrum|September 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The candidates, clearly worried about going too far, feinted and jabbed but threw no hard punches.
Rick Santorum Defuses Time Bomb of Social Issues in CNN Debate|Howard Kurtz|February 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He feinted with his right and landed a light tap on Iras shoulder and danced away before Ira could reach him.
Center Rush Rowland|Ralph Henry Barbour

Ponta paused, as if to make doubly sure, then feinted with his left and struck fiercely with his right with all his strength.
The Game|Jack London
Rick feinted with the hurt arm, then drove a chop at the man's nose.
The Electronic Mind Reader|John Blaine
He feinted suddenly inside the arm, deceiving the parade of tierce.
The Black Moth|Georgette Heyer
Not unlike a skillful boxer Falkenhayn feinted at one point, then struck hard at another unexpectedly.
The Story of the Great War, Volume VI (of VIII)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for feinted

feint

/ (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

feint

/ (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

Word Origin and History for feinted

feint

1670s, "a false show, a pretended blow," from French feinte "a feint, sham," abstract noun from Old French feint (13c.) "false, deceitful," originally fem. past participle of feindre (see feign).

Borrowed late 13c. as adjective, but now obsolete in that sense. Also as a noun in Middle English with sense "false-heartedness" (early 14c.), also "bodily weakness" (c.1400).

feint

c.1300, feinten, "to deceive, pretend," also "become feeble or exhausted; to lack spirit or courage," from feint (adj.); see feint (n.). Cf. Old French feintir "be slow, delay." Sense of "to make a sham attack" is first attested 1833. Related: Feinted; feinting.

feint

noun

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

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feint

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feint

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