pretended
Americanadjective
-
insincerely or falsely professed.
a pretended interest in art.
-
feigned, fictitious, or counterfeit.
His pretended wealth was proved to be nonexistent.
-
alleged or asserted; reputed.
Other Word Forms
- pretendedly adverb
- self-pretended adjective
- unpretended adjective
Etymology
Origin of pretended
late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; 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.
Instead, it referenced the charges against Zapata Rivera’s wife and suggested he had only pretended to have a medical crisis while refusing help from paramedics.
From Salon
She pretended to be deeply interested in her fabrics.
From Literature
"This is so weird, we just pretended to do this and now it's happening," he said when picking up the trophy for best TV comedy actor.
From BBC
Everyone knew what was happening even if they pretended not to.
From Salon
Judge Williams said Villafane charmed his partner and pretended to be caring and generous.
From BBC
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.