feign
verb /feɪn/
/feɪn/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they feign | /feɪn/ /feɪn/ |
| he / she / it feigns | /feɪnz/ /feɪnz/ |
| past simple feigned | /feɪnd/ /feɪnd/ |
| past participle feigned | /feɪnd/ /feɪnd/ |
| -ing form feigning | /ˈfeɪnɪŋ/ /ˈfeɪnɪŋ/ |
- feign something | feign to do something to pretend that you have a particular feeling or that you are ill, tired, etc.
- He survived the massacre by feigning death.
- ‘Who cares?’ said Alex, feigning indifference.
- ‘A present for me?’ she asked with feigned surprise.
- She feigned sleep to avoid having to answer.
Oxford Collocations DictionaryFeign is used with these nouns as the object:- disappointment
- enthusiasm
- ignorance
- …
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French feign-, stem of feindre, from Latin fingere ‘mould, contrive’. Senses in Middle English (taken from Latin) included ‘make something’, ‘invent a story, excuse, or allegation’, hence ‘make a pretence of a feeling or response’. Compare with fiction and figment.