Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

pretended

American  
[pri-ten-did] / prɪˈtɛn dɪd /

adjective

  1. insincerely or falsely professed.

    a pretended interest in art.

  2. feigned, fictitious, or counterfeit.

    His pretended wealth was proved to be nonexistent.

  3. 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