What does "pretend" mean?
The act of engaging in pretend play.
Pretend
/pɹəˈtɛnd/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of engaging in pretend play.
- Grammar: pretend is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: feign, make believe, sham, act.
- Useful contrasts: actual hardware, genuine apology, genuine event.
- Usage evidence: We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.
How to use "pretend"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pretend" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pretend" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pretend" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pretend" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pretend" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "feign" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "pretend", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of engaging in pretend play. childish, informal, uncountable
"We used to dress up in our grandparents' old clothes and play pretend."
- 2 the enactment of a pretense wordnet
Verb
- 1 To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance. intransitive
"You don't have to pretend that the soup tastes fine."
- 2 state insincerely wordnet
- 3 To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.; To engage in make-believe. intransitive
"She moved her fingers across the desk, pretending to play the piano."
- 4 make believe with the intent to deceive wordnet
- 5 To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.; To feign, affect (a state, quality, etc.). intransitive, transitive
"She's pretending illness to get out of the business meeting."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like wordnet
- 7 To lay claim (to an ability, status, advantage, etc.). formal, intransitive
"The family's exile was intended to stop them pretending to the throne."
- 8 put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation wordnet
- 9 To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden. obsolete, transitive
"Lest that too heavenly form, pretended / To hellish falsehood, snare them."
- 10 behave unnaturally or affectedly wordnet
- 11 To intend; to design, to plot; to attempt. obsolete, transitive
"Such as shall pretend / Malicious practices against his state."
- 12 put forward a claim and assert right or possession of wordnet
- 13 To hold before one; to extend. obsolete, transitive
"Pastorella […] Was by the Captaine all this while defended, / Who, minding more her safety then himselfe, / His target alwayes over her pretended[…]."
Adjective
- 1 Not really what it is represented as being; imaginary, feigned. not-comparable
"As children we used to go on "spying" missions around the neighbour's house, but it was all pretend."
Adjective
- 1 imagined as in a play wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
actual hardwaregenuine apologygenuine eventreal thing
Example
"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pretend"?
Common synonyms include: feign, make believe, sham, act, act, act a part.
How do you use "pretend" in a sentence?
We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.
How do you pronounce "pretend"?
Pronounced /pɹəˈtɛnd/.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman pretendre, Middle French pretendre (French prétendre (“to claim, demand”)), from Latin praetendere (“to put forward, hold out, pretend”), from prae- (“pre-”) + tendō (“stretch”); see tend.