pretend

pretend — verb

1. to behave as though a false situation or feeling were real, either to trick peop

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to behave as though a false situation or feeling were real, either to trick people or during children's make-believe play

Example

Daichi <hw>pretended</hw> to be asleep so his sister would leave him alone.

pretend + to-infinitive for feigning an action

Those young actors are just <hw>pretending</hw> — the fight is not real.

gerund form with no object for playful context

Common collocations
  • pretend otherwise
  • pretend not to notice
  • just pretending
  • pretend to be asleep
  • pretend that nothing happened
Synonyms
  • make believe

    More playful and innocent; common among children and in game contexts

  • fake

    Stronger and more negative; suggests deliberate deception rather than play

  • feign

    Formal register; used in writing more than speech

Grammar Patterns

pretend + that-clause

pretend + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Frequently used with a that-clause (often with 'that' dropped in informal speech) or a to-infinitive. When the meaning is 'for fun' rather than 'to deceive', the gerund form (e.g. 'just pretending') is common in spoken English.

Common Mistakes

He pretended me that he was sick.
He pretended to me that he was sick.
When adding an indirect object, use 'to' before it.
I am pretending not to see you.' (awkward split infinitive avoidance)
I am pretending not to see you.
This is actually fine; the split infinitive is natural here.

2. to claim a certain skill, status, or entitlement that you do not genuinely posse

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to claim a certain skill, status, or entitlement that you do not genuinely possess

Example

Yael <hw>pretends</hw> to be a wine expert though she knows little.

pretend + to-infinitive for false claims of ability

A man who <hw>pretended</hw> to be a doctor at the hospital was arrested.

pretend + to be [role] for false identity

Common collocations
  • pretend to be + [profession/role]
  • pretend to have + [ability/quality]
  • pretend to know
  • pretend to understand
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

pretend + to-infinitive (ability/status)

Usage Note

In this sense, the subject claims a specific role or ability that they do not genuinely possess. Unlike sense 1 ('Fake or Play'), this sense cannot be used for innocent games or playful deception — it always carries a connotation of dishonesty.

Common Mistakes

She pretended that she was a doctor' (when she means she was playing).
She pretended to be a doctor during the medical exam.
Depending on context, 'that-clause' fits sense 1 (play) while 'to be [role]' for false identity fits sense 2.

pretend — adjective

Word family

  • pretence
    nounB2
  • pretense
    nounB2
  • pretender
    nounC1
  • pretended
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Pretend' is the most general word for acting as if something is true when it is not — it covers both innocent play and deliberate deception. 'Make believe' is warmer and more playful, used almost exclusively for children's games and imagination ('Let's make believe we are pirates'). 'Fake' is more negative and suggests the intent to deceive or to produce a counterfeit version of something ('He faked his own death'). 'Feign' is a formal alternative, common in written narratives and literary contexts ('She feigned indifference'). 'Bluff' is specific to poker-like situations where you pretend to have a stronger position than you actually do in order to gain an advantage. In everyday conversation, 'pretend' is the safest choice; the other words add nuance that a C1–C2 learner would use to sound more precise.

make believefake ↗feignbluff ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • pretend friend
  • pretend game
  • pretend play

Adverbs

  • just pretend
  • pretend otherwise
  • pretend not to

Phrases

  • pretend that
  • pretend to
  • make pretend
  • stop pretending

Prepositions

  • pretend to + [person]
  • pretend about

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Pretend' comes from the Latin word 'praetendere', which was made from 'prae-' (meaning 'before' or 'in front') and 'tendere' (meaning 'to stretch'). The original Latin meaning was 'to stretch something out in front' — like holding out a shield or offering an excuse. Over time, the word shifted from 'to put forward as a reason or excuse' to 'to claim falsely', and later (in the 1300s–1400s) to the modern sense of making believe or acting deceptively. The adjective form (as in 'pretend money') developed much later, in the 1900s.