English adjective: pretend | |||
1. | pretend imagined as in a play | ||
Samples | The make-believe world of theater. Play money. Dangling their legs in the water to catch pretend fish. | ||
Synonyms | make-believe | ||
Similar | unreal | ||
Antonyms | real, existent | ||
English noun: pretend | |||
1. | pretend (act) the enactment of a pretense | ||
Samples | It was just pretend. | ||
Synonyms | make-believe | ||
Broader (hypernym) | feigning, pretence, pretending, pretense, simulation | ||
English verb: pretend | |||
1. | pretend (communication) make believe with the intent to deceive | ||
Samples | He feigned that he was ill. He shammed a headache. | ||
Synonyms | affect, dissemble, feign, sham | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s that CLAUSE. Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE | ||
Broader (hypernym) | belie, misrepresent | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | bull, bullshit, fake, mouth, play possum, take a dive, talk through one's hat | ||
Verb group | make, make believe, pretend | ||
2. | pretend (creation) behave unnaturally or affectedly | ||
Samples | She's just acting. | ||
Synonyms | act, dissemble | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s. Somebody ----s something | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | assume, feign, sham, simulate | ||
Verb group | act, behave, do | ||
3. | pretend (possession) put forward a claim and assert right or possession of | ||
Samples | Pretend the title of King. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | arrogate, claim, lay claim | ||
4. | pretend (communication) put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation | ||
Samples | I am guessing that the price of real estate will rise again. I cannot pretend to say that you are wrong. | ||
Synonyms | guess, hazard, venture | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s that CLAUSE | ||
Broader (hypernym) | speculate | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | anticipate, call, forebode, foretell, predict, prognosticate, promise, surmise, suspect | ||
5. | pretend (communication) represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like | ||
Samples | She makes like an actress. | ||
Synonyms | make, make believe | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s that CLAUSE | ||
Broader (hypernym) | act, play, represent | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | go through the motions | ||
Verb group | affect, dissemble, feign, pretend, sham | ||
6. | pretend (communication) state insincerely | ||
Samples | 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. | ||
Synonyms | profess | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s that CLAUSE | ||
Broader (hypernym) | claim | ||