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.
Bitcoin might be make believe, but it’s also the center of speculative activity in financial markets.
From Barron's • Dec. 2, 2025
But since McElhenney and Reynolds come from a world of make believe, where nothing is impossible, why not dream big?
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2024
“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
An only child, young Julia devoured books and lost herself in make believe.
From New York Times • Jul. 22, 2022
“We had to make believe we were your kids,” I explained, and you should have seen him smile.
From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel
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.
