feigned
Americanadjective
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pretended; sham; counterfeit.
feigned enthusiasm.
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assumed; fictitious.
a feigned name.
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disguised.
a feigned voice.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of feigned
Explanation
Feigned is an adjective that means "not genuine," like your feigned interest in your friends' discussion of celebrity hairstyle trends. The word feigned, pronounce "faynd," comes from the Old French word feign, which means "pretend, imitate, shirk." Feigned emotions aren't real, and therefore, they are a bit dishonest. You act like you care but you really don't. Maybe you are just being nice, like your feigned enthusiasm for your dad's woodworking projects — you know how much he enjoys it, so why not act interested?
Vocabulary lists containing feigned
Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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The Kite Runner
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Twelfth Night
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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.
I kind of knew that, but when she had that reaction, which was not feigned at all, that was like a shot of advice from the heart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026
I feigned disappointment but secretly sighed with relief: The last time I’d come, the pod’s door hadn’t closed, spiking my adrenaline even more during the seven-minute trip across the valley.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025
For real — not like the astonishment Zoë Kravitz feigned in a Golden Globes-set episode of “The Studio,” faking disbelief at the podium when she knew all along that she was going to win.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2025
When a press release informed me Howie had scheduled a brief homecoming, I feigned a news hook: If I could interview him by phone, I would write a feature about "Stuck Rubber Baby."
From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2025
Julian feigned another stocatta, then performed one of the passatas we had practiced so interminably.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
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.
