pretended; pretending; pretends
1
: to give a false appearance of being, possessing, or performing
does not pretend to be a psychiatrist
2
a
: to make believe : feign
he pretended deafness
b
: to claim, represent, or assert falsely
pretending an emotion he could not really feel
1
: to feign an action, part, or role especially in play
2
: to put in a claim
cannot pretend to any particular expertise—
Clive Barnes
Clive Barnes1
: imaginary, make-believe
had a pretend pal with whom he talked
2
: not genuine : mock
pretend pearls
3
: being a nonfunctional imitation
a pretend train for the children to play in
Synonyms
Examples of pretend in a Sentence
Verb
He had a big stain on his shirt, but I pretended not to notice.
The children pretended to be asleep.
She looked like she was enjoying the party but she was just pretending.
It was a mistake, and to pretend otherwise would be foolish.
The children were pretending to be animals.
He pretended to make a phone call.
Let's just pretend for a moment. I'm your boss. What would you say to me?
Adjective
The children played on a pretend train.
if you were to see the movie's pretend jewels in real life, you wouldn't be fooled for a minute
Recent Examples on the Web
David Nield, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
Some staffers pretended to call on behalf of a depressed relative.
—Max Blau, ProPublica, 14 Nov. 2024
Pamela Brill, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024
The 5-foot-10, 196-pound Alexander is a pretend macho, tough guy.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pretend 
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Verb
Keeping your account also prevents anyone from taking your username (and maybe pretending to be you).
—David Nield, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
Some staffers pretended to call on behalf of a depressed relative.
—Max Blau, ProPublica, 14 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Your chef-in-training will relish cooking up a feast in this pretend kitchen that has all the modern-day conveniences and then some.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024
The 5-foot-10, 196-pound Alexander is a pretend macho, tough guy.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pretend
Dictionary Entries Near pretend
Cite this Entry
“Pretend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretend. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pretend
1 of 2 verb
pre·tend
pri-ˈtend 
1
: to give the appearance of being, having, or doing
I don't pretend to be a doctor, but you should do something about that cough
2
: to make believe : act a part or role
pretend to be a bear
pretend I'm your boss. What would you say?
pretend
2 of 2 adjectiveLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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