pretense, especially of an innocent or playful kind; playacting; fantasy.
the make-believe of children playing.
a pretender; a person who pretends.
a fantasy, pretence, or unreality
( as modifier )
a make-believe world
a person who pretends
First recorded in 1805–15
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
None of these treatments make clear sense — mainly because they aren’t real — but that’s exactly Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso’s point: Fame is all make-believe pandemonium and there is no real recovery from it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2026
As long as Hegseth keeps his chest-thumping and pull-up contests in the land of make-believe, these men are happy.
From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2026
Even younger infants show early signs of understanding make-believe.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 10, 2026
If we’re going to play make-believe, then perhaps Foo-Foo the Snoo can personally escort Peters from prison and crown her Queen of the Rockies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 21, 2025
For twenty seconds at a time, I could practice opening the Gemini hatch, getting out, and “flying” or walking over to the side of a make-believe Agena built out of wood.
From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins
Bitcoin might be make believe, but it’s also the center of speculative activity in financial markets.
From Barron's ● Dec. 2, 2025
When there’s no distance between the stage and the house, cast and guest, and make believe and reality, we all become actors.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2023
“And just make believe and playing. And then on a personal level, I think I learned how to be myself … that everyone would accept me for who I was.”
From Washington Times ● Mar. 21, 2023
From a young age he wanted to dress up and make up and make believe, including as a mermaid, and wondered if he was a girl.
From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 2022
Then we stay close to Cousin Dorothy, make believe we're not listening when she knows we are.
From "Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson
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.
