PRETEND

pretend, make-believe

(adjective) imagined as in a play; “the make-believe world of theater”; “play money”; “dangling their legs in the water to catch pretend fish”

pretend, make-believe

(noun) the enactment of a pretense; “it was just pretend”

profess, pretend

(verb) 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”

feign, sham, pretend, affect, dissemble

(verb) make believe with the intent to deceive; “He feigned that he was ill”; “He shammed a headache”

make, pretend, make believe

(verb) represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like; “She makes like an actress”

guess, venture, pretend, hazard

(verb) 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”

dissemble, pretend, act

(verb) behave unnaturally or affectedly; “She’s just acting”

pretend

(verb) put forward a claim and assert right or possession of; “pretend the title of King”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Verb

pretend (third-person singular simple present pretends, present participle pretending, simple past and past participle pretended)

To claim, to allege, especially when falsely or as a form of deliberate deception. [from 14th c.]

To feign, affect (a state, quality, etc.). [from 15th c.]

To lay claim to (an ability, status, advantage, etc.). [from 15th c.] (originally used without to)

To make oneself appear to do or be doing something; to engage in make-believe.

(transitive, obsolete) To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden.

(transitive, obsolete) To intend; to design, to plot; to attempt.

(transitive, obsolete) To hold before one; to extend.

Usage notes

This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See English catenative verbs

Adjective

pretend (not comparable)

Not really what it is represented as being; imaginary, feigned.

Source: Wiktionary

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Pre*tend", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pretended; p. pr. & vb. n. Pretending.] Etym: [OE. pretenden to lay claim to, F. prétendre, L. praetendere, praetentum, to stretch forward, pretend, simulate, assert; prae before + tendere to stretch. See Tend, v. t. ]

1. To lay a claim to; to allege a title to; to claim. Chiefs shall be grudged the part which they pretend. Dryden.

2. To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden. [R.] Lest that too heavenly form, pretended To hellish falsehood, snare them. Milton.

3. To hold out, or represent, falsely; to put forward, or offer, as true or real (something untrue or unreal); to show hypocritically, or for the purpose of deceiving; to simulate; to feign; as, to pretend friendship. This let him know, Lest, willfully transgressing, he pretend Surprisal. Milton.

4. To intend; to design; to plot; to attempt. [Obs.] Such as shall pretend Malicious practices against his state. Shak.

5. To hold before one; to extend. [Obs.] "His target always over her pretended." Spenser.

Pre*tend", v. i.

1. To put in, or make, a claim, truly or falsely; to allege a title; to lay claim to, or strive after, something; -- usually with to. "Countries that pretend to freedom." Swift. For to what fine he would anon pretend, That know I well. Chaucer.

2. To hold out the appearance of being, possessing, or performing; to profess; to make believe; to feign; to sham; as, to pretend to be asleep. "[He] pretended to drink the waters." Macaulay.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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