feint

[ feynt ]
See synonyms for: feintfeintedfeinting on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a movement made in order to deceive an adversary; an attack aimed at one place or point merely as a distraction from the real place or point of attack: military feints; the feints of a skilled fencer.

  2. a feigned or assumed appearance: His air of approval was a feint to conceal his real motives.

verb (used without object)
  1. to make a feint: He feinted left, then struck his opponent with a roar.

verb (used with object)
  1. to make a feint at; deceive with a feint.

  2. to make a false show of; simulate.

Origin of feint

1
First recorded in 1670–80; from French feinte, from Old French feinte “fabrication,” noun use of feminine of feint “pretended,” past participle of feindre; see origin at feign

Words that may be confused with feint

Words Nearby feint

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use feint in a sentence

  • She is jesting: I have it here; Monsieur, the feint is useless.

    Amphitryon | Moliere
  • But Clairon considers that this is a feint on his part, and that he will arrive sooner, in order to surprise her.

    Queens of the French Stage | H. Noel Williams

British Dictionary definitions for feint (1 of 2)

feint1

/ (feɪnt) /


noun
  1. a mock attack or movement designed to distract an adversary, as in a military manoeuvre or in boxing, fencing, etc

  2. a misleading action or appearance

verb
  1. (intr) to make a feint

Origin of feint

1
C17: from French feinte, from feint pretended, from Old French feindre to feign

British Dictionary definitions for feint (2 of 2)

feint2

/ (feɪnt) /


noun
  1. printing the narrowest rule used in the production of ruled paper

Origin of feint

2
C19: variant of faint

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012