pretended
Americanadjective
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insincerely or falsely professed.
a pretended interest in art.
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feigned, fictitious, or counterfeit.
His pretended wealth was proved to be nonexistent.
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alleged or asserted; reputed.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pretended
late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at pretend, -ed 2
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.
Simm posed as the lorry driver and pretended he had broken down at the side of the road.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
He slipped on the back steps last winter, and we both pretended it didn’t scare us, but he could have just as easily slipped on another stairwell.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026
Also this year, Cohen’s press officer secretly was recorded by a woman who pretended to be on a date with him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Having pretended to die in battle to test the loyalty of his sons, he returns home to find them both in love with Aspasia, his fiancée.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
He finally pretended to give up, stuffed the package into his pocket, turned around, and started to walk down the stairs.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
