pretend
English · Thesaurus
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pretend
- /pɹəˈtɛnd/
- /pɹiˈtɛnd/
- /pɹɪˈtɛnd/
Rhymes with -ɛnd
Where it comes from
From Anglo-Norman pretendre, Middle French pretendre (French prétendre (“to claim, demand”)), from Latin praetendere (“to put forward, hold out, pretend”), from prae- (“pre-”) + tendō (“stretch”); see tend.
verb pretends · pretending · pretended
-
To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.
You don't have to pretend that the soup tastes fine.
Similar: make like
-
To engage in make-believe.
She moved her fingers across the desk, pretending to play the piano.
Similar: make like
-
To feign, affect (a state, quality, etc.).
She's pretending illness to get out of the business meeting.
Similar: make like
- To lay claim (to an ability, status, advantage, etc.). The family's exile was intended to stop them pretending to the throne.
- To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden. Lest that too heavenly form, pretended / To hellish falsehood, snare them.
- To intend; to design, to plot; to attempt. Such as shall pretend / Malicious practices against his state.
- To hold before one; to extend. Pastorella […] Was by the Captaine all this while defended, / Who, minding more her safety then himselfe, / His target alwayes over her pretended[…].
adjective
-
Not really what it is represented as being; imaginary, feigned.
As children we used to go on "spying" missions around the neighbour's house, but it was all pretend.
Similar: mimic
noun
- The act of engaging in pretend play. We used to dress up in our grandparents' old clothes and play pretend.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: feign, make-believe, sham, dissemble, affect, play, unreal, act, fake, persuade, spoof, convince, purport, argue, contend, arguable
Translations
Every language
verb 1. (intransitive or with 'that' clause or 'to' infinitive) To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.
| Español | asacar, aparentar, hacer la finta, dragonear |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | -ㄴ/는/은/인 체하다 -n/-neun/-eun/-in chehada, -ㄴ/는/은/인 척하다 -n/-neun/-eun/-in cheokhada |
| 日本語 | ...の振りをする ...no furi o suru, 見せ掛ける misekakeru, 装う yosōu |
| 中文 | 假裝 /假装 jiǎzhuāng, 佯裝 /佯装 yángzhuāng |
| हिन्दी | ढोंग ḍhoṅg |
| Português | fingir |
| Français | prétendre, feindre, faire semblant |
| Deutsch | so tun, als ob |
| Italiano | fingere, fare finta |
| Română | preface, pretinde |
| Русский | де́лать вид délatʹ vid, сде́лать вид sdélatʹ vid, притворя́ться pritvorjátʹsja, притвори́ться pritvorítʹsja, прики́дываться prikídyvatʹsja, прики́нуться prikínutʹsja |
| Tiếng Việt | giả vờ |
| العربية | اِدَّعَى iddaʕā, زَعَمَ zaʕama, تَظَاهَرَ taẓāhara |
verb 1.2. (transitive) To feign, affect (a state, quality, etc.).
| Deutsch | vortäuschen |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | προσποιούμαι prospoioúmai |
verb 2. (intransitive with 'to', formal, originally transitive) To lay claim (to an ability, status, advantage, etc.).
| Español | pretender |
|---|---|
| Français | prétendre à |
| Русский | претендовать pretendovatʹ |
adj imaginary
| Español | de mentirijillas |
|---|---|
| Français | pour de faux, faire semblant |
Talk about this word "pretend." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/pretend. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. pretend. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/pretend "pretend." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/pretend.Cite this
@misc{pretend_2026,
title = {pretend},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/pretend},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
