Feign and Pretend

Feign

Feign verb - To present a false appearance of.
Usage example: I would never feign illness just to get out of a test
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Synonyms for Feign

Pretend is a synonym for feign in action topic. In some cases you can use "Pretend" instead a verb "Feign", when it comes to topics like lie, imagine, counterfeit, true. popular alternative

Nearby Word: feigning

Pretend

Pretend verb - To take on a false or deceptive appearance.
Usage example: I pretended that I didn't care that my ex had a new man in her life

Feign is a synonym for pretend in action topic. You can use "Feign" instead a verb "Pretend", if it concerns topics such as lie, imagine, fake, counterfeit. popular alternative

Common collocations

sympathy feign sympathy pretend sympathy
sex feign sex pretend sex
innocence feign innocence pretend innocence

Both words in one sentence

  • Film / Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) Pretend We're Dead: Miles and Becky feign emotionlessness to walk through the pod-infested town safely.
  • Face Unsurprisingly, they are easily duped by rule-breaking heels (particularly cowards who feign injury and/or pretend to be friends).
    Source: Face
  • Guile Hero Uses his brains and cunning in every situation, will feign loyalty and pretend to switch sides and abandon his team to gain access to information that will really further his team's goals.
    Source: Guile Hero
Cite this Source
Pretend and Feign. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 07, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/feign/pretend
Feign & Pretend. N.p., 2016. Web. 07 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/feign/pretend>.
Pretend or Feign. 2016. Accessed August 07, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/feign/pretend.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "feign" and "pretend" have occurred on timeline