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Definitions

pretended

[pri-ten-did] / prɪˈtɛn dɪd /
ADJECTIVE
alleged; imaginary
Synonyms
STRONG
affected assumed avowed bluffing cheating concealed counterfeit covered dissimulated fake falsified feigned lying masked mock pretend professed purported quack sham shammed simulated supposed
WEAK
artificial bogus charlatan factitious false fictitious impostrous imposturous make believe ostensible phony pseudo put on so-called spurious
Antonyms
STRONG
bare exposed genuine open original real revealed true
WEAK
sincere

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Dubois, who once pretended to be a boy named Colin so she could be allowed to box, also received a warm reception as she entered to "I'm Every Woman" by Whitney Houston.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

The vice president pretended to pivot from “a longer discussion” of the subject, but then he immediately started pontificating about the culture’s “desire” to classify “celestial beings who fly around “as aliens.”

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026

Josie is chagrined to recognize that she would forgive him, too, if he ever so much as pretended to care about her.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

It’s that it apparently knowingly produced fake results and falsely pretended they were real and accurate.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

He finally pretended to give up, stuffed the package into his pocket, turned around, and started to walk down the stairs.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson