pretense
65
6.1
- noun
- /prɪˈtɛns/
- US
:
pretexto
- But then in March 1995, all pretense of improving relations evaporated with a tragic crime.
- make no pretense
- abandon all pretense
- drop the pretense
There is only going through the motions, a pretense of life.
- There is only going through the motions, a pretense of life.
- You know, I mean, his his effort is mainly focused on setting up pretense for lawsuits.
- He crashed his funerals under the pretense of having known the the deceased.
- And Williams praised her unspeakably elevating presence through all her frail pretenses of being this or that.
- So he starts giving them to poets and writers and musicians and the, the, the pretense of research gradually fades.
- This, they say, created the false pretence that his economic incentives aligned with his public recommendations.
- But this for me is potentially well worse because multiple children were created by this man under false pretenses.
- I know, I'm sorry I lured you in on false pretences.
- I think a lot of what intrigues people are the pretenses, right?
Examples
-
The politicians presented a pretense of unity, but their disagreements were clear behind closed doors.
-
In contrast to the protest song, this music had no pretense of didactic intentions.
Academic text (1991) -
To maintain the pretense that he was still a patient in the hospital.
-
Better to be alone than to live a pretense with someone else.
Fiction book (1990) -
There no longer exists even a pretense of concern.
-
And all the rest is just pretense.
-
We make no pretense of rehabilitation here.
-
There is only going through the motions, a pretense of life.
-
So about six o'clock, he excused himself under the pretense of going home to feed his animals.
Fiction book (1993) -
Finally, the nobles of the region abandoned all pretense of defending their lands and fled from the region.
Academic text (1993)
Synonyms
∞
2.7
A false statement told to trick someone
76
7.4
A false show that hides what is really happening
72
5.1
A way of showing yourself that hides problems to make others think well of you
54
7.5
An appearance that hides the truth to trick people
42
6.7
A false reason people give to hide what they really want
29
6.5
A false story made to trick people
25
5.8
A false show of feeling or action meant to trick people
25
7.5
A statement that gives false information about something
19
9.5
A trick or excuse to hide the real reason
9
7.1
An action or statement that hides the real reason behind something
8
6.8
A false appearance that hides someone's true feelings or plans
7
8.2
A crime of lying to get someone's money or things
6
4.3
A trick that makes something look like real magic
6
6.8
A thing or action made to trick people into thinking it is real
4
7.5
A false act or story that tries to trick people, often to make them laugh
3
9.9
Hiding your true feelings or intentions by pretending
1
9.6
Talk that tries to trick people with false statements
1
7.4
Pretending to have an illness or feeling to trick others
1
4.1
A way of acting to make others believe something that is not true
Antonyms
Compounds
How Deceptive
163
3.9
- Offensive
81
6.1
8
6.8
- US
65
6.1
76
7.4
42
6.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Pretense comes from the same root as pretend, meaning 'to put forward' or 'show' something. That's why a pretense can be a false show or claim used to hide the real situation.