pretense, especially of an innocent or playful kind; playacting; fantasy.
the make-believe of children playing.
a pretender; a person who pretends.
a fantasy, pretence, or unreality
( as modifier )
a make-believe world
a person who pretends
First recorded in 1805–15
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And with every request comes an unspoken plea for understanding, no matter how far into the land of make-believe they’re asking to be led.
From Slate ● Jul. 19, 2026
As long as Hegseth keeps his chest-thumping and pull-up contests in the land of make-believe, these men are happy.
From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2026
We don’t need any make-believe substances to catch his drift, particularly his belief that, even if music may not change the world, at least it can provide some much-needed comfort from it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2026
Even younger infants show early signs of understanding make-believe.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 10, 2026
There were huge boxes attached to the windows, which contained make-believe stars and spacecraft, so that when we looked out the windows we would see what we would see in flight.
From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins
Bitcoin might be make believe, but it’s also the center of speculative activity in financial markets.
From Barron's ● Dec. 2, 2025
“And just make believe and playing. And then on a personal level, I think I learned how to be myself … that everyone would accept me for who I was.”
From Washington Times ● Mar. 21, 2023
It is a sensation without parallel in the world of make believe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2023
There’s no time to develop characters’ nuance and mood: It’s the difference between acting and playing make believe.
From New York Times ● Jun. 15, 2022
I brushed past Blanca to make believe I was going to get something from the fridge.
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
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.
