pretender

[ pri-ten-der ]
/ prɪˈtɛn dər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR pretender ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who pretends, especially for a dishonest purpose.
an aspirant or claimant (often followed by to): a pretender to the throne.
a person who makes unjustified or false claims, statements, etc., as about personal status, abilities, intentions, or the like: a pretender to literary genius.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of pretender

First recorded in 1585–95; pretend + -er1

Words nearby pretender

pretax, preteen, pretence, pretend, pretended, pretender, pretense, pretension, pretensive, pretentious, preter-
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to pretender

quack, hypocrite, fraud, actor, deceiver, impostor, faker, imitator, fake, snob, charlatan, dissembler

Example sentences from the Web for pretender

British Dictionary definitions for pretender

pretender
/ (prɪˈtɛndə) /

noun

a person who pretends or makes false allegations
a person who mounts a claim, as to a throne or title
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012