[Origin: 1325–75; ME pretenden < L praetendere to stretch forth, put forward, pretend. See pre-, tend1]
—Synonyms 1. simulate, fake, sham, counterfeit. 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 (but not always) 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.
c.1380, "to profess or claim," from O.Fr. pretendre "to lay claim," from L. prætendere "stretch in front, put forward, allege," from præ- "before" + tendere "to stretch," from PIE base *ten- "to stretch" (see tend). Main modern sense of "feign, put forward a false claim" is recorded from 1412; the older sense of simply "to claim" is behind the string of royal pretenders (1697) in Eng. history. Meaning "to play, make believe" is recorded from 1865.
imagined as in a play; "the make-believe world of theater"; "play money"; "dangling their legs in the water to catch pretend fish" [syn: make-believe]
noun
1.
the enactment of a pretense; "it was just pretend" [syn: make-believe]
verb
1.
make believe with the intent to deceive; "He feigned that he was ill"; "He shammed a headache" [syn: feign]
2.
behave unnaturally or affectedly; "She's just acting" [syn: dissemble]
3.
put forward a claim and assert right or possession of; "pretend the title of King"
4.
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" [syn: guess]
5.
represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like; "She makes like an actress" [syn: make]
6.
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" [syn: profess]
to make believe that something is true, in play Example: Let's pretend that this room is a cave!; Pretend to be a lion!; He wasn't really angry — he was only pretending.
Arabic:
يَدَّعي أنَّه
Chinese (Simplified):
使信以为真，假装
Chinese (Traditional):
使信以為真，假裝
Czech:
dělat jako by
Danish:
foregive; lade som om
Dutch:
doen alsof
Estonian:
mängima
Finnish:
leikkiä
French:
faire semblant (de, que)
German:
so tun als ob
Greek:
προσποιούμαι, παριστάνω
Hungarian:
tettet
Icelandic:
þykjast
Indonesian:
berpura-pura
Italian:
fare finta*, fingere
Japanese:
～だということにする
Korean:
…인 체하다
Latvian:
iztēloties; izlikties
Lithuanian:
apsimesti
Norwegian:
late som om, leke (at), innbille seg
Polish:
udawać
Portuguese (Brazil):
fingir
Portuguese (Portugal):
fazer de conta
Romanian:
a-şi închipui; a pretinde; a se preface
Russian:
делать вид
Slovak:
robiť sa, že
Slovenian:
delati se
Spanish:
fingir, simular
Swedish:
låtsas
Turkish:
numara yapmak, …-mış gibi görünmek
pretend2[priˈtend]verb
to try to make it appear (that something is true), in order to deceive Example: He pretended that he had a headache; She was only pretending to be asleep; I pretended not to understand.
Pre*tend"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pretended; p. pr. & vb. n. Pretending.] [OE. pretenden to lay claim to, F. pr['e]tendre, 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.
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