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.
But as Hull wrote: “Spirit Airlines wasn’t perfect. But it was safe, and it never pretended to be something it wasn’t.”
From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026
In response to the criticism, Patel has pretended that his detractors are just jealous of his girlfriend.
From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026
“We tried to have a baby and we tried to have a baby and when my parents and sister and friends asked I pretended I didn’t want one,” Khong writes.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
The band joked they had snuck in a vial of their own tears to promote their single A Tear in Space, and pretended to hide them in the capsule.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
The owl swerved off as Abel thrust at it, and pretended to fly away defeated, but immediately it swooped down again.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
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.
