to feign
40
7.2
- verb
- /feɪn/
:
fingir
- He had to feign confidence during his presentation, even though he was very nervous.
- feign interest
- feign illness
- feign ignorance
But when they go home, they have to feign a new character.
- But when they go home, they have to feign a new character.
- Have you observed people trying to feign these traits?
- And this is the thing I would say to that you can feign and fake passion.
- We go, well, I'm going to feign indifference.
- But there's so many things that we feign interest in to seem cultured.
- We might even start to try to feign a level of competence that we don't have.
- And then as they age or make mistakes of judgement, the subordinates also will feign deference.
- The cold rains all but blurred out sight as we feigned sophistication passing a bullet shaped bottle of malt.
- Was he crazy or does he feign madness as part of his scheme to bring justice to his late father?
- But but you're, you can't feign sexual attraction and you can't relearn your innate sexual orientation, which is what they're kind of implying.
- And honestly, I, I can't feign expert expertise over any of this.
- And in this very moment, we are almost too conscious to feign, feign some sort of ignorance against this, this perplexing ordeal that is existence.
- So he says, we must add, Jesus is deeply skeptical toward all those who can feign the goodman's blissful existence through the simple lack of strong instincts and vitality.
Examples
-
Dear, can you at least feign some interest?
-
But it's my role as head of the household to feign concern.
-
Was he crazy or does he feign madness as part of his scheme to bring justice to his late father?
-
Have you observed people trying to feign these traits?
-
Often when things got bad between them, he feigned a loss of memory.
Fiction book (1993) -
And in that press conference, he feigned indignation.
-
At the bottom of the stairs, Bugsy stands with his arms across his chest, feigning indifference.
Fiction book (1991) -
He feigned interest in miss goodwin's career to lure her there.
-
She tried to feign surprise when she saw the birthday party.
-
To avoid hurting her feelings, he decided to feign enthusiasm for her new project.
Synonyms
∞
2.3
To act as if something is true when it is not
217
4.8
To pretend you know something when you do not
115
8.1
To pretend to have a feeling or quality to deceive others
20
6.7
Pretend to have a feeling to trick people
11
5.0
Pretend to have a quality or feeling
9
9.1
To hide true feelings or intentions by pretending to feel something else
1
6.4
To pretend to be or feel something to trick people
How Deceptive
Surface Forms
Etymology
Feign comes from an old Latin word fingere meaning 'to form' or 'to make up'. It is the same root as fiction, so to feign is to 'make up' a feeling or condition — in other words, to pretend.