pretendverb [ I ]
uk/prɪˈtend/us/prɪˈtend/B2 to behave as if something is true when you know that it is not, especially in order to deceive people or as a game:
[ + (that) ] He pretended (that) he didn't mind, but I knew that he did.
The children pretended (that) they were dinosaurs.
[ + to infinitive ] Were you just pretending to be interested?
She's not really hurt - she's only pretending.
Of course I was angry - I can't pretend otherwise.
not pretend to do sth formal
to not claim something that is false:
I don't pretend to be an expert on the subject.
More examples
- She'll pretend that she hasn't seen us - you watch.
- Just for a laugh, I pretended that I'd forgotten it was his birthday.
- He isn't really angry - he's just pretending.
- She sidled past him, pretending that she had not seen him.
- He even tried to pretend he was a film star's son - can you believe it?
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Faking & pretending
- a wolf in sheep's clothing idiom
- affect
- assume
- believe
- changeling
- charlatan
- falsify
- feign
- fraud
- go through the motions idiom
- guise
- phoney
- play at sth
- play possum idiom
- play sth out
- play-acting
- professed
- purport
- put sth on
- quack
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Children's games
Assertions & asserting
pretendadjective
uk/prɪˈtend/us/prɪˈtend/imaginary or not real:
"Do you want a cup of tea?" she asks, offering me a pretend cup.
They knew the argument was only pretend, but they still got upset.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
True, real, false, and unreal
- actual
- actuality
- actually
- all that glitters is not gold idiom
- apocryphal
- fairy tale
- faithful
- false
- falsely
- fictional
- glitter
- gritty
- nominal
- practically
- proper
- properly
- properly speaking idiom
- pukka
- verily
- well founded
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Faking & pretending