pretend
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /pɹəˈtɛnd/
ipa: /pɹiˈtɛnd/
ipa: /pɹɪˈtɛnd/
rhymes: -ɛnd
Forms: form: pretends
form: pretending
form: pretended
form: pretended
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.
Senses: examples: text: You don't have to pretend that the soup tastes fine.
text: You don't have to pretend to like the soup.
text: If you don't like it, say so. You don't have to pretend.
text: To get into the club, he pretended to be over 18.
text: "After what past at Upton, so soon to engage in a new amour with another woman, while I fancied, and you pretended, your heart was bleeding for me!"
ref: 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter 23, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book XVIII:
text: It's rather like a beautiful Inverness cloak one has inherited. Much too good to hide away, so one wears it instead of an overcoat and pretends it's an amusing new fashion.
ref: 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
text: But I love you / More than I wanted to / There's no point in trying to pretend
ref: 1983 October 31, Genesis, “That's All”, in Genesis:
text: I have nothing but contempt for people who hire ghost-writers. But at least most faux authors have the decency to pretend that they are sweating blood over "their" book.
ref: 2009 April 13, “Vanity publishing”, in The Economist:
synonyms: make like
glosses: To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.
raw_tags: with 'that' clause 'to' infinitive
examples: text: She moved her fingers across the desk, pretending to play the piano.
text: She didn't have a real piano to play, so she just pretended.
text: "The truth is, Ma'am," said Mrs. Grant, pretending to whisper across the table to Mrs. Norris, "that Dr. Grant hardly knows what the natural taste of our apricot is;[…]."
ref: 1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter VI, in Mansfield Park: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, pages 111–112:
text: Luster claimed that the women had consented to sex and were only pretending to be asleep.
ref: 2003 January 23, Duncan Campbell, The Guardian, London:
synonyms: make like
glosses: To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.
To engage in make-believe.
raw_tags: with 'that' clause 'to' infinitive
examples: text: She's pretending illness to get out of the business meeting.
text: This let him know, / Lest, wilfully transgressing, he pretend / Surprisal.
ref: 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
text: Dropping one's anger and pretending indifference does not make one objective, only acceptable.
ref: 1980 February 9, Charley Shively, “Radical History: Not Radical Enough”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 28, page 12:
text: Gap and other clothes manufacturers should stop using small subcontractors because they are difficult to control. Instead, they should open up their own fully-owned production facilities so that they cannot pretend ignorance when abuses are committed.
ref: 2007 October 29, The Guardian, London:
synonyms: make like
glosses: To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.
To feign, affect (a state, quality, etc.).
raw_tags: with 'that' clause 'to' infinitive
examples: text: The family's exile was intended to stop them pretending to the throne.
text: Chiefs shall be grudged the part which they pretend.
ref: 1682, John Dryden, The Medal:
text: People observed the diversity of schools and the acerbity of their disputes, and decided that all alike were pretending to knowledge which was in fact unattainable.
ref: 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.25:
glosses: To lay claim (to an ability, status, advantage, etc.).
raw_tags: with 'to'
examples: text: Lest that too heavenly form, pretended / To hellish falsehood, snare them.
ref: 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
glosses: To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden.
examples: text: Such as shall pretend / Malicious practices against his state.
ref: 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
glosses: To intend; to design, to plot; to attempt.
examples: text: Pastorella […] Was by the Captaine all this while defended, / Who, minding more her safety then himselfe, / His target alwayes over her pretended[…].
ref: 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
text: But had thoſe vvits the vvonders of their dayes, / Or that ſvveete Teian Poet [Anacreon] vvhich did ſpend / His plenteous vaine in ſetting forth her [Venus's] prayſe, / Seene but a glims of this, vvhich I pretend, / Hovv vvondrouſly vvould he her face commend, […]
ref: 1596, Edm[und] Spenser, “An Hymne of Heavenly Beautie”, in Fowre Hymnes, London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, page 43:
glosses: To hold before one; to extend.
Related terms: pretender
pretense
pretension
pretentious
pretentiousness