feign
verb (used with object)
to represent fictitiously; put on an appearance of.
was feigning
-
past progressiveof feign.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
A second assessment, which included a third psychiatrist appointed by the Jerusalem District Psychiatrist, also concluded that Leifer was feigning mental illness.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 28, 2023
Even after she had become so weak that she could barely move, many officials questioned whether she was feigning her illness in an attempt to be released from detention, the report said.
From New York Times ● Aug. 10, 2021
I still don’t know whether or not he was feigning it.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 13, 2020
Further complicating the situation, some doctors became convinced that he was feigning mental illness when convenient — even though he rejected his lawyers’ attempts to use insanity as a defense.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 26, 2016
“At home,” Taran said—to himself, Eilonwy had already pulled a cloak over her head and was feigning sleep—“nothing ever happened. Now, everything happens. But somehow I can never seem to make it come out right.”
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
