pretended
adjective
pre·tend·ed pri-ˈten-dəd 
: professed or avowed but not genuine
pretended affection
pretendedly adverb
Synonyms
- affected
- artificial
- assumed
- bogus
- contrived
- factitious
- fake
- false
- feigned
- forced
- mechanical
- mock
- phony
- phoney
- plastic
- pseudo
- put-on
- sham
- simulated
- spurious
- strained
- unnatural
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
he shows a pretended affection for his girlfriend's cat hoped that his pretended interest in classical music would impress the boss
Recent Examples on the Web No, seriously: People were very upset by these shoes, or at least pretended to be. 
Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 31 Aug. 2017
Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 31 Aug. 2017 Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above
pretended 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality he shows a pretended affection for his girlfriend's cat Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- mock
- strained
- assumed
- fake
- forced
- false
- affected
- feigned
- unnatural
- simulated
- exaggerated
- contrived
- pseudo
- mechanical
- artificial
- sham
- plastic
- phony
- bogus
- calculated
- spurious
- factitious
- cute
- put-on
- concocted
- theatrical
- phoney
- manufactured
- pat
- hollow
- empty
- labored
- fabricated
- unreal
- deliberate
- theatric
- studied
- automatic
- hypocritical
- canned
- cultivated
- insincere
- hokey
- conscious
- stiff
- unrealistic
- formal
- wooden
- unauthentic
- overdone
- facile
- unctuous
- two-faced
- melodramatic
- conventional
- simpering
- premeditated
- mealymouthed
- overacted
- cutesy
- mealy
- mincing
- histrionic
- rigid
- stylized
- overrefined
- impersonal
- double-dealing
- genteel
- left-handed
- goody-goody
- artful
- inflexible
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- real
- genuine
- unaffected
- true
- spontaneous
- unfeigned
- natural
- artless
- right
- honest
- authentic
- sincere
- bona fide
- realistic
- easy
- unforced
- uncontrived
- smooth
- unconscious
- impromptu
- ingenuous
- unpretending
- effortless
- instinctive
- unstudied
- impulsive
- unprompted
- unrehearsed
- extemporaneous
2
as in fake
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express hoped that his pretended interest in classical music would impress the boss Synonyms & Similar Words
- fake
- assumed
- double
- feigned
- lip
- strained
- forced
- hypocritical
- hollow
- meaningless
- superficial
- counterfeit
- insincere
- phony
- artificial
- affected
- backhanded
- pious
- contrived
- mealymouthed
- false
- mechanical
- jive
- unctuous
- phoney
- unnatural
- two-faced
- mealy
- phoney-baloney
- simulated
- empty
- phony-baloney
- dishonest
- double-faced
- Pecksniffian
- sham
- Janus-faced
- double-dealing
- left-handed
- deceitful
- claptrap
- put-on
- glib
- untruthful
- bogus
- devious
- facile
- facetious
- sanctimonious
- jocular
- canting
- pharisaical
- campy
- simon-pure
- self-righteous
- tongue-in-cheek
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- genuine
- honest
- sincere
- unfeigned
- artless
- candid
- plain
- open
- heartfelt
- direct
- undesigning
- frank
- straightforward
- forthright
- heart-to-heart
pretended
2 of 2verb
1
as in posed
to take on a false or deceptive appearance I pretended that I didn't care that my ex had a new man in her life Synonyms & Similar Words
- posed
- acted
- assumed
- dissimulated
- played
- faked
- made believe
- dissembled
- masqueraded
- feigned
- simulated
- professed
- concealed
- let on
- disguised
- made a pretense
- shammed
- impersonated
- made a show
- made out
- camouflaged
- put on an act
- masked
- affected
- put up a front
- playacted
- counterfeited
- bluffed
- feinted
- put on
2
as in assumed
to present a false appearance of as if I would ever pretend illness just to take off a day from work Synonyms & Similar Words
- assumed
- simulated
- feigned
- acted
- shammed
- professed
- affected
- faked
- made believe
- bluffed
- dissembled
- concealed
- posed
- counterfeited
- masqueraded
- forged
- impersonated
- imitated
- disguised
- dissimulated
- played
- put on
- camouflaged
- passed (for)
- masked
- let on
- playacted
- feinted
- malingered