PRETEND: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for PRETEND?

Need another word that means the same as “pretend”? Find 56 synonyms and 30 related words for “pretend” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Pretend” are: act, dissemble, make, make believe, profess, affect, feign, sham, guess, hazard, venture, make as if, put on an act, play at, pass oneself off as, bluff, impersonate, fake, faked, professed, purported, simulate, put on, counterfeit, lay claim to, say that one owns, assert ownership of, make-believe, imaginary, imagined, pretended, made-up, fancied, unreal, fanciful, fictitious, fictive, mythical, feigned, mock, imitative, simulated, artificial, ersatz, dummy, false, faux, spurious, bogus, fraudulent, forged, pseudo

Pretend as a Noun

Definitions of "Pretend" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “pretend” as a noun can have the following definitions:

  • The enactment of a pretense.

Synonyms of "Pretend" as a noun (1 Word)

make-believeThe enactment of a pretense.

Usage Examples of "Pretend" as a noun

  • It was just pretend.

Pretend as a Verb

Definitions of "Pretend" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “pretend” as a verb can have the following definitions:

  • Behave so as to make it appear that something is the case when in fact it is not.
  • Put forward a claim and assert right or possession of.
  • Behave unnaturally or affectedly.
  • Give the appearance of feeling or possessing (an emotion or quality); simulate.
  • State insincerely.
  • Lay claim to (a quality or title.
  • Put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation.
  • Engage in an imaginative game or fantasy.
  • Make believe with the intent to deceive.
  • Represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like.

Synonyms of "Pretend" as a verb (27 Words)

actTake action do something.
Governments must act to reduce pollution.
affectHave an emotional or cognitive impact upon.
The medicine affects my heart rate.
assert ownership ofAssert to be true.
bluffDeceive an opponent by a bold bet on an inferior hand with the result that the opponent withdraws a winning hand.
The object is to bluff your opponent into submission.
counterfeitMake a copy of with the intent to deceive.
They counterfeited dollar bills.
dissembleHide under a false appearance.
An honest sincere person with no need to dissemble.
fakeTamper, with the purpose of deception.
The politician was not well prepared for the debate and faked it.
fakedMake a copy of with the intent to deceive.
feignPretend to be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury.
She feigned nervousness.
guessForm a correct conclusion about something by guessing.
I guess I d better tell you everything.
hazardPut (something) at risk of being lost.
The cargo business is too risky to hazard money on.
impersonatePretend to be (another person) for entertainment or fraud.
It s a very serious offence to impersonate a police officer.
lay claim toPut in a horizontal position.
makeMake formulate or derive in the mind.
He had been trying to make Cynthia for two years now.
make as ifChange from one form into another.
make believeGather and light the materials for.
pass oneself off asGo unchallenged; be approved.
play atCause to happen or to occur as a consequence.
professPractice as a profession teach or claim to be knowledgeable about.
She entered St Margaret s Convent and was professed in 1943.
professedState insincerely.
purportedPropose or intend.
put onArrange thoughts, ideas, temporal events.
put on an actCause to be in a certain state; cause to be in a certain relation.
say that one ownsCommunicate or express nonverbally.
shamMake believe with the intent to deceive.
Was he ill or was he shamming.
simulateCreate a representation or model of.
Red ochre intended to simulate blood.
ventureProceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers.
He ventured the opinion that Putt was insane.

Usage Examples of "Pretend" as a verb

  • I closed my eyes and pretended I was asleep.
  • She pretended not to have known the suicide bomber.
  • I cannot pretend to say that you are wrong.
  • Children pretending to be grown-ups.
  • He cannot pretend to sophistication.
  • She pretended a greater surprise than she felt.
  • Pretend the title of King.
  • She pretends to be an expert on wine.
  • She turned the pages and pretended to read.

Pretend as an Adjective

Definitions of "Pretend" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “pretend” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

  • Not really what it is represented as being; imaginary.
  • Imagined as in a play.

Synonyms of "Pretend" as an adjective (28 Words)

artificialArtificially formal.
The artificial division of people into age groups.
bogusFraudulent; having a misleading appearance.
A bogus insurance claim.
counterfeitPretended; sham.
Counterfeit 10 notes.
ersatzArtificial and inferior.
Ersatz emotion.
fake(of a person) claiming to be something that one is not.
Fake designer clothing.
falseUsed in names of plants animals and gems that superficially resemble the thing properly so called e g false oat.
A false or sour note.
fanciedFormed or conceived by the imagination.
A fancied wrong.
fancifulIndulging in or influenced by fancy.
The falsehood about some fanciful secret treaties.
fauxMade in imitation; artificial.
A faux fur jacket.
feignedSimulated or pretended; insincere.
Her eyes widened with feigned shock.
fictitiousOccurring in or invented for fiction.
A fictitious address.
fictiveCreated by the imagination.
The obviously fictive genres poetry drama and the novel.
forgedReproduced fraudulently.
They have illegally entered the UK using forged travel documents.
fraudulentUnjustifiably claiming or being credited with particular accomplishments or qualities.
Fraudulent share dealing.
imaginaryNot based on fact; existing only in the imagination.
Chris had imaginary conversations with her.
imagined(of something unreal or untrue) believed to exist or be so.
They perceive imagined slights where none exist.
imitative(of words) formed in imitation of a natural sound.
The derring do of our film heroes inspired us to imitative feats.
made-upHaving been paved.
make-believeImagined as in a play.
mockConstituting a copy or imitation of something.
Boys in mock battle.
mythicalIdealized, especially with reference to the past.
A mythical customer whose name appears in brochures promoting the bank s services.
pretendedAdopted in order to deceive.
A pretended interest.
pseudoNot genuine but having the appearance of.
Pseudoclassic.
shamBogus; false.
A clergyman who arranged a sham marriage.
simulatedReproduced or made to resemble; imitative in character.
Under simulated combat conditions.
spuriousBorn out of wedlock- E.A.Freeman.
A spurious argument.
unrealLacking material form or substance unreal.
In the half light the tiny cottages seemed unreal.

Usage Examples of "Pretend" as an adjective

  • Dangling their legs in the water to catch pretend fish.
  • The children poured out pretend tea for the dolls.

Associations of "Pretend" (30 Words)

actPerform an action or work out or perform an action.
She s just acting.
affectationBehaviour, speech, or writing that is pretentious and designed to impress.
An affectation of calm.
assumeOccupy or take on.
It is reasonable to assume that such changes have significant social effects.
behaveBehave in a certain manner.
It is not acceptable for a student to behave like that towards a teacher.
cantDenoting a phrase or catchword temporarily current or in fashion.
If they d stop canting about honest work they might get somewhere.
deignDo something that one considers to be beneath one’s dignity.
She did not deign to answer the maid s question.
dissembleDisguise or conceal (a feeling or intention.
An honest sincere person with no need to dissemble.
feignInvent (a story or excuse).
He feigned that he was ill.
figmentA contrived or fantastic idea.
A figment of the imagination.
hypocrisyAn expression of agreement that is not supported by real conviction.
His target was the hypocrisy of suburban life.
impersonateAssume or act the character of.
It s a very serious offence to impersonate a police officer.
inactiveNot exerting influence or change.
Inactive Crohn s disease.
insidiousWorking or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way.
Insidious pleasures.
mincingAffectedly dainty or refined.
I don t have to go through the rest of my life with that mincing voice of yours.
moralisticNarrowly and conventionally moral.
A moralistic stance on advertising.
pretensionA claim or aspiration to a particular quality.
His pretensions to the imperial inheritance.
pretextA reason given in justification of a course of action that is not the real reason.
The rebels had the perfect pretext for making their move.
primAssume a prim appearance.
She primmed her lips after every bite of food.
pruderyExcessive or affected modesty.
prudishExaggeratedly proper.
The prudish moral climate of the late 19th century.
pseudoNot genuine but having the appearance of.
The arty chat of a campus pseudo.
puritanSomeone who adheres to strict religious principles; someone opposed to sensual pleasures.
Don t be such a puritan.
realisticallyIn a way that is accurate and true to life.
This film realistically simulates the effects that a nuclear war could have.
refineMake more complex, intricate, or richer.
Refine the constant in the equation.
shamAdopted in order to deceive.
A clergyman who arranged a sham marriage.
shyHaving a dislike of or aversion to a specified thing.
Shy of strangers.
simulateReproduce someone’s behavior or looks.
It was impossible to force a smile to simulate pleasure.
smatterTo talk foolishly.
She smatters Russian.
timidLacking conviction or boldness or courage.
Whitewater rafting is not for the timid.

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