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.
“Toy Story” and its four sequels encouraged imagination and playfulness by giving toys the same kinds of personalities that children pretended the toys already had, sending them on adventures big and small.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
It’s been widely reported that in the ’80s and ’90s, Trump sometimes pretended to be his own publicist, John Barron, when talking to reporters.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Dad pretended nothing had gone wrong, which felt worse than being chewed out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
Another character pretended to rough up the first character until the sign opened to say “ICE CREAM,” and then everyone danced happily.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
She’d had to turn in her cell phone when she’d left behind everything else at school—everything that wasn’t really hers, but belonged to her only when she pretended to be a whatnot.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
