to pretend

Examples

• All

• As a play activity, encourage children to pretend that they are performing different jobs.

  Academic text (1991)

• So see how long I can pretend to focus while still doing this.

  Harvard University

• Can you pretend to be interested?

  Broken City (2013)

• We're just kind of pretending that it is over.

• Pretending to need this guy really brings the team together.

  Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

• Examples of dramatic play include playing house or pretending to be a grocery store clerk.

  Academic text (2013)

• To rid himself of Bonnie thoughts, he pretended he was enjoying himself more than he was.

  Fiction book (1990)

• The children love to pretend they are superheroes while playing in the backyard.

• He tries to pretend he is happy, even though he feels sad inside.

Synonyms

A

to act

vsto pretend

∞ 1.0

Behave in a certain way, often to pretend or hide feelings

is more tied to behaviour that seems true often for deception or amusement

P

to play

vsto pretend

∞ 2.5

Behave in a way to trick or amuse someone

is a general verb for acting as if true in serious or playful contexts

F

to fake

vsto pretend

217 4.8

To pretend you know something when you do not

is used more generally for acting as if something is true beyond hiding mistakes

P

to pose

vsto pretend

172 6.1

To pretend to be someone you are not to trick people

is broader acting and applies to many situations not only adopting identities

A

to affect

vsto pretend

115 8.1

To pretend to have a feeling or quality to deceive others

is broader and used for deceiving entertaining or showing feeling

P

to profess

vsto pretend

72 5.9

To say you believe or support something, often without meaning it

is about showing something through behaviour rather than only stating it

I

to impersonate

vsto pretend

70 7.2

Pretend to be another person by copying their looks, voice or actions

is used more broadly for acting as if something is true beyond copying people

F

to feign

vsto pretend

40 7.2

Pretend to feel something, like surprise or interest, to trick other people

is used more widely for acting in many ways not only false feeling claims

M

to masquerade

vsto pretend

26 6.9

To pretend to be someone else to hide the truth

is general acting that can include many motives not only physical disguise

A

to act as

vsto pretend

25 3.4

Pretend to have qualities or feelings you do not have

is used broadly for behaving in certain ways including deception or entertainment

S

to simulate

vsto pretend

20 6.7

Pretend to have a feeling to trick people

is a broader action used for many motives not only deception

P

to pass off

vsto pretend

18 6.9

To make something or someone look real when they are not

is used for acting as if true not only to gain acceptance

M

to make believe

vsto pretend

17 3.8

Pretend something is real for fun or play

is used also for deception or serious acting not only for play

A

to assume

vsto pretend

11 5.0

Pretend to have a quality or feeling

is used when acting often to deceive entertain or show feeling

D

to dissemble

vsto pretend

9 9.1

To hide true feelings or intentions by pretending to feel something else

is used more widely for open acting to deceive entertain or show feeling

P

to play pretend

vsto pretend

• Baby Talk

4 2.9

Act as if you are someone or something imaginary

is used across ages and motives not only for children's imaginative acting

P

to play-act

vsto pretend

2 6.1

To act out a scene to practice or show how something happens

is used more generally not only for practice or staged performance

S

to sham

vsto pretend

1 6.4

To pretend to be or feel something to trick people

is a broader act of behaving as if true for various reasons

Antonyms

T

to tell the truth

814 2.7

Say what really happened without hiding facts or lying

Phrasal Verbs

P

to pretend not to notice

5 5.6

To act as if you do not see something to avoid making someone feel embarrassed

P

to play pretend

• Baby Talk

4 2.9

Act as if you are someone or something imaginary

Compounds

P

pretend tea party

• Baby Talk

2.7

Children play at having a formal tea with toy cups and pretend food

How Convincing

to simulate

22 5.5

to feign

40 7.2

to pretend

∞ 2.3

to act

∞ 1.0

to play

∞ 2.5

Surface Forms

Etymology