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Synonyms

make-believe

American  
[meyk-bi-leev] / ˈmeɪk bɪˌliv /

noun

  1. pretense, especially of an innocent or playful kind; playacting; fantasy.

    the make-believe of children playing.

  2. a pretender; a person who pretends.


adjective

  1. pretended; feigned; imaginary; made-up; unreal.

    a make-believe world of fantasy.

make believe British  

verb

  1. to pretend or enact a fantasy

    the children made believe they were doctors

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

    1. a fantasy, pretence, or unreality

    2. ( as modifier )

      a make-believe world

  1. a person who pretends

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
make believe Idioms  
  1. Pretend, as in Let's make believe we're elves. This expression in effect means making oneself believe in an illusion. [Early 1700s]


Etymology

Origin of make-believe

First recorded in 1805–15

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.

See Examples For:

Photo make-believe: I’m conflicted about the new suite of Apple Intelligence photo-editing tools.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 14, 2026

“Performing and make-believe eased my anxieties. I was able to step outside of myself,” she said.

From MarketWatch Sep. 2, 2026

And with every request comes an unspoken plea for understanding, no matter how far into the land of make-believe they’re asking to be led.

From Slate Jul. 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

“I know who Bambi’s mother is. A make-believe deer in the pictures. You see, young’n, I know. Now get over here. Come on.”

From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Bitcoin might be make believe, but it’s also the center of speculative activity in financial markets.

From Barron's Dec. 2, 2025

“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

It is a sensation without parallel in the world of make believe.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 25, 2023

Yet the formal pressure isn’t enough to justify the cloudless make believe.

From New York Times Apr. 2, 2021

I could make believe you were barfing because you ate bad sushi.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy

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