feigned
adjective
ˈfānd 
1
: fictitious
Was his account actual or feigned?
2
: not genuine or real
showered him with feigned compliments
Synonyms
- affected
- artificial
- assumed
- bogus
- contrived
- factitious
- fake
- false
- forced
- mechanical
- mock
- phony
- phoney
- plastic
- pretended
- pseudo
- put-on
- sham
- simulated
- spurious
- strained
- unnatural
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the feigned applause that polite people give after a bad concert the feigned looks of innocence I got when I asked who had broken the lamp
Recent Examples on the Web This dance of feigned, unearned intimacies played on endlessly at every meeting. 
Ling Ma, The Atlantic, 16 May 2022 Asked how people in Arkansas viewed the pandemic, Mallett chuckled and feigned ignorance. Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Mar. 2022 Then Phillips ripped off the mask, rolled his eyes and feigned relief as the crowd cheered for him. Washington Post, 25 June 2020 Fans express outrage about the threat of brain damage to their heroes, so there must be at least a feigned effort at reducing hits. James Surowiecki, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2019 And from the ashes of that feigned concern, Women Who Whiskey was born. Shelbie Lynn Bostedt, RedEye Chicago, 6 July 2017 What followed was a listicle of Carey’s erratic milestones—her cartoonish MTV Cribs episode, her feigned ignorance of her celebrity rivals, and her hospitalization after behaving oddly on TRL. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2018 For all of the piety of NCAA President Mark Emmert, and all of the feigned ignorance of prominent coaches, there is simply too much financial incentive to keep third parties at bay. Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2018 On the other side of the road, his rival taunted him with feigned fear. Teri Figueroa, sandiegouniontribune.com, 5 Sep. 2017 See More
Ling Ma, The Atlantic, 16 May 2022 Asked how people in Arkansas viewed the pandemic, Mallett chuckled and feigned ignorance. Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Mar. 2022 Then Phillips ripped off the mask, rolled his eyes and feigned relief as the crowd cheered for him. Washington Post, 25 June 2020 Fans express outrage about the threat of brain damage to their heroes, so there must be at least a feigned effort at reducing hits. James Surowiecki, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2019 And from the ashes of that feigned concern, Women Who Whiskey was born. Shelbie Lynn Bostedt, RedEye Chicago, 6 July 2017 What followed was a listicle of Carey’s erratic milestones—her cartoonish MTV Cribs episode, her feigned ignorance of her celebrity rivals, and her hospitalization after behaving oddly on TRL. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2018 For all of the piety of NCAA President Mark Emmert, and all of the feigned ignorance of prominent coaches, there is simply too much financial incentive to keep third parties at bay. Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2018 On the other side of the road, his rival taunted him with feigned fear. Teri Figueroa, sandiegouniontribune.com, 5 Sep. 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English feyned, feigned, from past participle of feynen "to feign"
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
feigned 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality the feigned applause that polite people give after a bad concert Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- mock
- strained
- pretended
- fake
- false
- exaggerated
- unnatural
- assumed
- simulated
- pseudo
- affected
- contrived
- forced
- mechanical
- artificial
- factitious
- spurious
- phony
- sham
- bogus
- plastic
- theatrical
- put-on
- calculated
- theatric
- hollow
- deliberate
- phoney
- cute
- concocted
- pat
- unreal
- manufactured
- fabricated
- empty
- automatic
- insincere
- labored
- canned
- formal
- facile
- stiff
- cultivated
- hokey
- unctuous
- conscious
- hypocritical
- studied
- unrealistic
- simpering
- premeditated
- melodramatic
- mealymouthed
- conventional
- histrionic
- unauthentic
- overdone
- overacted
- mealy
- wooden
- rigid
- stylized
- cutesy
- mincing
- two-faced
- impersonal
- double-dealing
- artful
- genteel
- overrefined
- inflexible
- left-handed
- goody-goody
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- genuine
- spontaneous
- real
- unfeigned
- unaffected
- natural
- artless
- true
- sincere
- authentic
- realistic
- bona fide
- unforced
- right
- uncontrived
- honest
- easy
- smooth
- unconscious
- instinctive
- ingenuous
- impromptu
- effortless
- unpretending
- unstudied
- extemporaneous
- impulsive
- unrehearsed
- unprompted
2
as in pretended
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express the feigned looks of innocence I got when I asked who had broken the lamp Synonyms & Similar Words
- pretended
- fake
- double
- lip
- strained
- assumed
- insincere
- superficial
- hollow
- counterfeit
- artificial
- backhanded
- phony
- mealymouthed
- meaningless
- unctuous
- pious
- mechanical
- false
- hypocritical
- contrived
- affected
- forced
- unnatural
- jive
- mealy
- phoney
- simulated
- double-faced
- two-faced
- phony-baloney
- double-dealing
- phoney-baloney
- empty
- Pecksniffian
- Janus-faced
- sham
- dishonest
- put-on
- claptrap
- deceitful
- facile
- glib
- left-handed
- bogus
- untruthful
- jocular
- sanctimonious
- facetious
- devious
- canting
- pharisaical
- campy
- tongue-in-cheek
- simon-pure
- self-righteous
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- genuine
- sincere
- unfeigned
- artless
- heartfelt
- honest
- candid
- direct
- plain
- frank
- forthright
- open
- straightforward
- undesigning
- heart-to-heart
feigned
2 of 2verb
as in simulated
to present a false appearance of I would never feign illness just to get out of a test Synonyms & Similar Words
- pretended
- simulated
- assumed
- shammed
- professed
- acted
- faked
- affected
- dissembled
- counterfeited
- made believe
- bluffed
- dissimulated
- concealed
- masqueraded
- disguised
- posed
- forged
- put on
- imitated
- camouflaged
- passed (for)
- impersonated
- masked
- feinted
- let on
- playacted
- played
- malingered