Definition of pretend - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
deceptionintr. claim something untrue to deceive othersintr.
- She pretended to know the answer.
2.
behaviortr./intr. feign a state or qualitytr./intr.
- He pretended illness to avoid school.
3.
playtr./intr. Rare act as if something is true in playtr./intr. Rare
- The children pretended to be pirates.
Adjective
1.
imaginationfanciful or make-believe
- She wore a pretend crown during the play.
2.
not realnot genuine but having the appearance of
- She wore a pretend diamond necklace at the party..
Noun
imaginationact of pretending or make-believe
- The children's pretend was a delightful escape into a fantasy world..
Expressions with pretend
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
inviting others to imagine something unreal together as if it were real
The children said, "Let's pretend we're pirates sailing across the ocean."
act as if successful to become successful
In interviews, pretend until you succeed, and confidence will follow.
Origin of pretend
Latin, praetendere (to stretch forth)
Terms with pretend included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
fiction
not real, imagined or pretend
behavior
pretend to have feelings or conditions
pretend inattention
pretend not to notice someone or something
pretend behavior
behave in a way that pretends something is true
pretend strength
pretend to be strong or brave to impress others
pretend
smile even when not feeling happy
pretend
imaginary or pretended
games
pretend to be someone else in a game
play
pretend to be someone or something for fun
children's games
pretend to be a family in a game
character game
pretend to be a character in a group activity
relationship
pretend to be a caring and affectionate spouse
theater
pretend to be something
pretense
pretend to be something not true
pretend emotion
simulate an emotion or reaction
psychology behavior
pretend to have qualities until they become real
pretend action
pretend to do something without real involvement
communication
pretend to agree to avoid upsetting someone
pretending
pretend to be someone for fun
ironic complaint
used jokingly to pretend your situation is very difficult
deception
pretend to be unaware of something
pretend play
pretend something is real, often for fun or acting
strategy
pretend to agree for strategic reasons
feign death
pretend to be dead
Examples of pretend in a sentence
They pretended not to see the mistake. She pretended happiness despite the bad news. They pretended to be asleep when their parents checked on them. They pretended to be astronauts on a mission. During the game, she pretended to be a queen. He built a pretend castle from cardboard.
The children had a pretend tea party. He gave her a pretend ring as a joke. The pretend castle looked almost real. Their pretend involved a magical kingdom and brave knights. Pretend was their favorite game during recess.
View all translations of pretend
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:prétendre, factice, ...
- German:vorgeben, imaginär, ...
- Italian:fingere, finto, ...
- Spanish:fingir, de mentira, ...
- Portuguese:fingir, imaginário, ...
- Chinese:假装, 假装的, ...
- Japanese:ふりをする, おとぎの, ...
- Arabic:تَظَاهَرَ, خَيالي, ...
- Hebrew:לְהַעֲמִיד פָּנִים, מְדוּמֶה, ...
- Russian:притворяться, вымышленный, ...
- Ukrainian:вдавати, уявний, ...
- Hindi:झूठा दिखावा करना, बनावटी, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the