to pretend
Third Person
pretends
Present Participle
pretending
Past Tense
pretended
Past Participle
pretended
1
to act in a specific way in order to make others believe that something is the case when actually it is not so
transitive
- He pretended to enjoy the meal, even though it didn't taste good, to avoid causing offense.
- She pretended to be interested in the conversation to avoid hurting her friend's feelings.
- Sometimes, pretending to be confident can help overcome nervousness in social situations.
- The spy pretended to be a tourist while gathering information in a foreign country.
2
to act as if experiencing or having an emotion or trait without truly feeling it
transitive
- She pretended happiness to avoid worrying her friends.
- He could barely pretend interest in the dull conversation.
- She pretended surprise, though she had known about the party.
- He pretended confidence during the presentation, masking his nerves.
- She pretended excitement for her friend's news, though she felt indifferent.
3
represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like
transitive
- The children pretended they were pirates searching for hidden treasure.
- She pretended the sofa was a boat, navigating through imaginary waves.
- They pretended to be superheroes, saving the city from invisible villains.
- He pretended his stuffed animals were students in his classroom.
- She pretended to be a queen, ruling over her kingdom of dolls.
Synonyms:
4
to assert or claim a right or quality, often without legitimate basis
transitive
- He tried to pretend to expertise in the matter, but his inexperience showed.
- He cannot pretend to any particular knowledge of the law, as he’s never studied it.
- He cannot pretend to any authority in the matter when he’s just a beginner.
- He cannot pretend to any claim of ownership over the house without legal papers.
- They cannot pretend to any special privilege, as their background doesn’t support it.