pretend

/pri'tend/

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Word: Pretend

Part of Speech: Verb (also can be used as an adjective or noun)

Usage Instructions:

• Verb form: “To pretend” is used when someone is doing something that is not real or is only imagined.
• Adjective form: When used as an adjective, it describes something that is not real, like in a play.
• Noun form: As a noun, it refers to the act of pretending.

Examples:

• Verb: "She pretends to be a doctor when she plays with her toys."
• Adjective: "They played in a pretend world where they were superheroes."
• Noun: "His pretend was so convincing that everyone believed he was a pirate."

Advanced Usage:

• In Literature and Theater: The term is often used to describe characters or situations that are not real. For example, in a play, actors pretend to be someone else.
• Behavioral Context: Pretending can also describe someone behaving in a way that does not match their true feelings or intentions.

Word Variants:

• Pretender (noun): A person who pretends. Example: "He is a pretender who acts as if he knows everything."
• Pretended (adjective): Something that is feigned or not genuine. Example: "Her pretended ignorance made the situation worse."

Different Meanings:

1. To make believe: Engaging in imaginative play (e.g., children pretending to be animals).
2. To feign: Acting as if something is true for deceptive purposes (e.g., pretending to be sick).
3. To assert falsely: Claiming something without evidence (e.g., pretending to have a title or authority).

Synonyms:

• Act
• Feign
• Simulate
• Make-believe
• Imagine

Idioms:

• "Pretend to be": To act like someone or something else (e.g., "He pretends to be an expert.")
• "Put on a show": To act in a way that is not genuine (e.g., "She put on a show of happiness.")

Phrasal Verbs:

• Pretend to: "She pretended to be happy." This means she acted as if she was happy, even if she wasn't.

Summary:

To pretend is to create a false scenario or image, whether for fun, play, or deception. It is a common part of play for children and can be used in serious contexts when someone is not being honest about their feelings or knowledge.

Academic

Adjective

1. imagined as in a play
   • the make-believe world of theater
   • play money
   • dangling their legs in the water to catch pretend fish

Noun

1. the enactment of a pretense
   • it was just pretend

Verb

1. 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
2. represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like
   • She makes like an actress
3. 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
4. put forward a claim and assert right or possession of
   • pretend the title of King
5. behave unnaturally or affectedly
   • She's just acting
6. make believe with the intent to deceive
   • He feigned that he was ill
   • He shammed a headache

Synonyms

• make-believe
• profess
• make
• make believe
• guess
• venture
• hazard
• dissemble
• act
• feign
• sham
• affect