pretend
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pretend
make believe; deceive; feign: pretend surprise; simulate, fake, sham, counterfeit; assume: pretend a title
Not to be confused with:
portend – foreshadow as an omen; signify; foretell; forecast; forebode: The skies portend a possible hurricane.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
pre·tend
(prĭ-tĕnd′)v. pre·tend·ed, pre·tend·ing, pre·tends
v.tr.
1. To give a false appearance of; feign: "You had to pretend conformity while privately pursuing high and dangerous nonconformism" (Anthony Burgess).
2. To claim or allege insincerely or falsely: doesn't pretend to be an expert.
3. To represent fictitiously in play; make believe: pretended they were on a cruise.
4. To take upon oneself; venture: I cannot pretend to say that you are wrong.
v.intr.
1. To feign an action or character, as in play.
2. To lay claim: pretends to gourmet tastes.
adj. Informal
Imitation; make-believe: pretend money; pretend pearls.
[Middle English pretenden, from Old French pretendre, from Latin praetendere : prae-, pre- + tendere, to extend; see ten- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
pretend
(prɪˈtɛnd)vb
1. (when tr, usually takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to claim or allege (something untrue)
2. (tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to make believe, as in a play: you pretend to be Ophelia.
3. (foll by: to) to present a claim, esp a dubious one: to pretend to the throne.
4. obsolete (foll by: to) to aspire as a candidate or suitor (for)
adj
fanciful; make-believe; simulated: a pretend gun.
[C14: from Latin praetendere to stretch forth, feign, from prae in front + tendere to stretch]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pre•tend
(prɪˈtɛnd)v.
1. to cause or attempt to cause (what is not so) to seem so; claim: pretending that nothing is wrong.
2. to put forward a false appearance of, as to deceive; feign: to pretend illness.
3. to make believe: The children pretended they were cowboys.
4. to presume; venture: I can't pretend to say what went wrong.
5. to allege or profess, esp. insincerely or falsely: He pretended to have no knowledge of her whereabouts.
v.i. 6. to make believe.
7. to lay claim to (usu. fol. by to): to pretend to the throne.
8. to make pretensions (usu. fol. by to): to pretend to great knowledge.
9. Obs. to aspire, as a suitor or candidate (fol. by to).
adj. 10. make-believe; imaginary: pretend diamonds.
syn: pretend, affect, assume, feign imply an attempt to create a false appearance. To pretend is to create an imaginary characteristic or to play a part: to pretend sorrow. To affect is to make a consciously artificial show of having qualities that one thinks would look well and impress others: to affect shyness. To assume is to take on or put on a specific outward appearance, often with intent to deceive: to assume an air of indifference. To feign implies using ingenuity in pretense, and some degree of imitation of appearance or characteristics: to feign surprise.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
pretend
Past participle: pretended
Gerund: pretending
| Imperative |
|---|
| pretend |
| pretend |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | pretend - the enactment of a pretense; "it was just pretend" pretending, pretense, feigning, simulation, pretence - the act of giving a false appearance; "his conformity was only pretending" |
| Verb | 1. | pretend - make believe with the intent to deceive; "He feigned that he was ill"; "He shammed a headache" misrepresent, belie - represent falsely; "This statement misrepresents my intentions" make believe, pretend, make - represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like; "She makes like an actress" play possum - to pretend to be dead take a dive - pretend to be knocked out, as of a boxer talk through one's hat, bull, fake - speak insincerely or without regard for facts or truths; "The politician was not well prepared for the debate and faked it" mouth - articulate silently; form words with the lips only; "She mouthed a swear word" |
| 2. |  pretend - behave unnaturally or affectedly; "She's just acting" | |
| 3. | pretend - put forward a claim and assert right or possession of; "pretend the title of King" | |
| 4. | pretend - put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation; "I am guessing that the price of real estate will rise again"; "I cannot pretend to say that you are wrong" forebode, predict, prognosticate, foretell, promise, anticipate, call - make a prediction about; tell in advance; "Call the outcome of an election" suspect, surmise - imagine to be the case or true or probable; "I suspect he is a fugitive"; "I surmised that the butler did it" speculate - talk over conjecturally, or review in an idle or casual way and with an element of doubt or without sufficient reason to reach a conclusion; "We were speculating whether the President had to resign after the scandal" | |
| 5. |  pretend - represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like; "She makes like an actress"dissemble, feign, pretend, sham, affect - make believe with the intent to deceive; "He feigned that he was ill"; "He shammed a headache" go through the motions - pretend to do something by acting as if one was really doing it; "She isn't really working--she's just going through the motions" | |
| 6. | pretend - state insincerely; "He professed innocence but later admitted his guilt"; "She pretended not to have known the suicide bomber"; "She pretends to be an expert on wine" claim - assert or affirm strongly; state to be true or existing; "He claimed that he killed the burglar" | |
| Adj. | 1. | pretend - imagined as in a play; "the make-believe world of theater"; "play money"; "dangling their legs in the water to catch pretend fish" unreal - lacking in reality or substance or genuineness; not corresponding to acknowledged facts or criteria; "ghosts and other unreal entities"; "unreal propaganda serving as news" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
pretend
verb
1. feign, affect, assume, allege, put on, fake, make out, simulate, profess, sham, counterfeit, falsify, impersonate, dissemble, dissimulate, pass yourself off as He pretended to be asleep.
adjective
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
pretend
verb1. To take on or give a false appearance of:
Idiom: make believe.
2. To behave affectedly or insincerely or take on a false or misleading appearance of:
4. To contrive and present as genuine:
Idioms: make believe, put on an act.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَتَظَاهَريَتَظاهَريَدَّعي أنَّه
předstíratdělat jako by
foregivelade som om
teeskennellä
pretvarati se
megjátssza, hogy
òykjast
ふりをする
...인 체하다
izliktiesiztēloties
robiť sa, že
pretvarjati se
låtsas
แกล้ง
gibi görünmek-mış gibi görünmeknumara yapmakyapar gibi görünmek
giả vờ
pretend
[prɪˈtend]A. VT
1. (= feign) → fingir, simular
to pretend that → (querer) hacer creer que ...
he's pretending that he can't hear → finge no oír
let's pretend that I'm the doctor and you're the nurse (child language) → yo era el médico y tú eras la enfermera
to pretend to do sth → fingir hacer algo
to pretend to be asleep → hacerse el dormido, fingir estar dormido
to pretend to be mad → fingirse loco
he pretends to be a poet → se las da de poeta, se dice poeta
to pretend to go away → fingir marcharse
to pretend not to be listening → hacerse el distraído
to pretend not to understand → hacerse el desentendido
to pretend that → (querer) hacer creer que ...
he's pretending that he can't hear → finge no oír
let's pretend that I'm the doctor and you're the nurse (child language) → yo era el médico y tú eras la enfermera
to pretend to do sth → fingir hacer algo
to pretend to be asleep → hacerse el dormido, fingir estar dormido
to pretend to be mad → fingirse loco
he pretends to be a poet → se las da de poeta, se dice poeta
to pretend to go away → fingir marcharse
to pretend not to be listening → hacerse el distraído
to pretend not to understand → hacerse el desentendido
B. VI
1. (= feign) → fingir
she is only pretending → es de mentira
we're only pretending (to child) → es de mentirijillas
let's pretend → imaginémoslo
let's not pretend to each other → no nos engañemos uno a otro
she is only pretending → es de mentira
we're only pretending (to child) → es de mentirijillas
let's pretend → imaginémoslo
let's not pretend to each other → no nos engañemos uno a otro
2. (= claim) to pretend to the throne → pretender el trono
to pretend to intelligence → afirmar tener inteligencia, pretender ser inteligente
to pretend to intelligence → afirmar tener inteligencia, pretender ser inteligente
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
pretend
[prɪˈtɛnd] vt
(= feign) [+ ignorance, interest] → feindre
to pretend (that) → faire comme si
Her father tried to pretend that nothing unusual had happened → Son père essayait de faire comme si rien d'inhabituel ne s'était produit.
She can sunbathe and pretend she's in Spain → Elle peut prendre des bains de soleil et faire comme si elle était en Espagne.
to pretend to do sth → faire semblant de faire qch
He pretended to be asleep → Il faisait semblant de dormir.
to pretend (that) → faire comme si
Her father tried to pretend that nothing unusual had happened → Son père essayait de faire comme si rien d'inhabituel ne s'était produit.
She can sunbathe and pretend she's in Spain → Elle peut prendre des bains de soleil et faire comme si elle était en Espagne.
to pretend to do sth → faire semblant de faire qch
He pretended to be asleep → Il faisait semblant de dormir.
(as game) → s'imaginer
They were pretending that their bed was a pirate ship → Ils s'imaginaient que leur lit était un bateau pirate.
They were pretending that their bed was a pirate ship → Ils s'imaginaient que leur lit était un bateau pirate.
vi
(= feign) → faire semblant
(as game) → jouer à faire semblant
adj [money] → factice; [earrings] → pour jouer
Pretend cooking is just as much fun as the real thing → Jouer à faire la cuisine est tout aussi amusant que la faire pour de vrai.
pretend play → jeu symbolique
Pretend cooking is just as much fun as the real thing → Jouer à faire la cuisine est tout aussi amusant que la faire pour de vrai.
pretend play → jeu symbolique
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
pretend
vt
(= make believe) → so tun, als ob; (= feign) → vortäuschen, vorgeben; to pretend to be interested → so tun, als ob man interessiert wäre; to pretend to be sick/to have a cold → eine Krankheit/Erkältung vortäuschen or vorschützen; to pretend to be asleep → sich schlafend stellen
vi
(= make believe) → so tun, als ob; (= keep up facade) → sich verstellen; he is only pretending → er tut nur so (als ob); let’s stop pretending → hören wir auf, uns (dat) → etwas vorzumachen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
pretend
[prɪˈtɛnd]1. vt
a. (feign) to pretend illness/ignorance → fingersi malato/a/ignorante, far finta di essere malato/a/ignorante
to pretend to do sth → far finta or fingere di fare qc
she's pretending she can't hear us → fa finta di non sentirci
he was pretending to be a lawyer → si spacciava per avvocato
to pretend to do sth → far finta or fingere di fare qc
she's pretending she can't hear us → fa finta di non sentirci
he was pretending to be a lawyer → si spacciava per avvocato
b. (claim) to pretend to do/that → pretendere di fare/che + sub
3. adj (fam) (gun, money) → finto/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
pretend
(priˈtend) verb1. to make believe that something is true, in play. Let's pretend that this room is a cave!; Pretend to be a lion!; He wasn't really angry – he was only pretending.
2. to try to make it appear (that something is true), in order to deceive. He pretended that he had a headache; She was only pretending to be asleep; I pretended not to understand.
preˈtence , (American) preˈtense (-s) noun (an) act of pretending. Under the pretence of friendship, he persuaded her to get into his car.
false pretences acts or behaviour intended to deceive. He got the money under false pretences.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
pretend
→ يَتَظَاهَر předstírat foregive vorgeben προσποιούμαι fingir teeskennellä prétendre pretvarati se fingere ふりをする ...인 체하다 doen alsof late som stworzyć pozory fingir притворяться låtsas แกล้ง yapar gibi görünmek giả vờ 假装Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
pretend
v. pretender, fingir, aparentar.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012