pretend
verb (used with object)
to cause or attempt to cause (what is not so) to seem so.
was pretending
-
past progressiveof pretend.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.
She said the people she chatted to often seemed "really nice" but were obviously lonely, making the whole process feel sad, especially as she was not the person she was pretending to be.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026
And his desire for secular immortality didn’t mean he was pretending to have lofty republican sensibilities.
From Slate ● Feb. 16, 2026
Daniel V. Behesnilian, Kroth’s attorney, told the judge that his client first met Herrling in a Van Nuys court, where she was pretending to be a lawyer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2026
“In this case, what they were doing was pretending to work for legitimate security-testing organizations,” Klein said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025
He stopped and looked at her from behind a tree, knowing she’d heard him approach but glad she was pretending she hadn’t.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
