pretend Hear it!

pretend Definition

pre·tend (prē tend′, pri-)

transitive verb

  1. to claim; profess; allege to pretend ignorance of the law
  2. to claim or profess falsely; feign; simulate to pretend anger
  3. to make believe, as in play to pretend to be astronauts

Etymology: ME pretenden, to intend < MFr pretendre < L praetendere, to hold forth, allege < prae-, before + tendere, to stretch: see thin

intransitive verb

  1. to lay claim to pretend to a throne
  2. to make believe in play or in an attempt to deceive; feign

adjective

Informal make-believe pretend jewelry

pretend Synonyms

pretend

v.

  1. To feign

    feign, affect, simulate, claim falsely, profess, make a pretense, imitate, assume, counterfeit, fake, sham, make as if, make as though, dissimulate, dissemble, mislead, pass oneself off, pose, impersonate, bluff, be hypocritical, purport, allege, make a show of, put on airs, put on*, let on*, make like*, go through the motions*, sail under false colors*, keep up appearances*, put up a front*, put on an act*, play possum*; see also deceive.

  2. To make believe

    mimic, fill a role, take a part, represent, portray, make out like, play, make as if, make as though, make believe, create, imagine, invent, act the part of, act a part, playact, put on an act*; see also sense 1, act 3, imitate 2, impersonate, reproduce 2.

pretend and feign both imply a profession or display of what is false, the more literary feign sometimes suggesting an elaborately contrived situation to pretend not to hear, to feign deafness; assume implies the putting on of a false appearance but suggests a harmless or excusable motive an assumed air of bravado; to affect is to make a show of being, having, using, wearing, etc., usually for effect to affect a British accent; simulate emphasizes the imitation of typical signs involved in assuming an appearance or characteristic not one's own to simulate interest

pretend Usage Examples

Object

  • ignorance: Then go to God and do not pretend ignorance, and say, " What shall we do?
  • everything: We were not sitting around pretending that everything in the garden was rosy.
  • nothing: The school pretended nothing was going on - I was to blame for everything.
  • relationship: Section 28 banned the " promotion " of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship by local authorities.
  • thing: They pretend things aren't carefully edited to make implications.

Used with why or when

that: Stick your fingers in your ears and sing if you want to, but don't pretend that 's not what you're doing.

Infinitive complement

  • believe: I refer, of course, to what Labor pretends to believe are the Government's plans for the National Health Service.
  • know: He couldn't pretend to know what was in her mind or heart or body any more.
  • understand: She pretended to understand, in order not to appear ignorant.
  • listen: Tony Blair would not even have to pretend to listen to anybody but an inner circle of rich men and toadies.
  • ignore: And it's utterly impossible for you to aid me abc news in the slightest, except by pretending to ignore it.
  • forget: You pretend to forget what comes next in the trick?

Modifies a noun

  • play: Suitable small world figures are valuable play resources as older toddlers and twos develop more sophisticated pretend play.
  • nothing: First, you can " flee " or somehow hide away and pretend nothing is happening.

Modifying Another Word

  • otherwise: To pretend otherwise is a delusion which can only make matters worse.
  • merely: Young children know immediately when adults are merely pretending to be interested.
  • n't: I do n't pretend I can solve all the problems Britain faces.
  • just: Advice for newbies: just pretend you aren't one.
  • not: He does not pretend he has never been in trouble.