pretended

pretended — adjective

1. describes a feeling, action, or identity that someone deliberately makes seem re

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a feeling, action, or identity that someone deliberately makes seem real or true when it is not — for example, showing pretended interest in what someone says, calling in with a pretended illness to avoid an event, or using a pretended name to hide who you really are.

Example

Selim's pretended interest in classical music was obvious to everyone at the concert hall.

attributive: pretended + [abstract noun] (pretended interest)

Trang stayed home with a pretended stomachache, though her sister saw her at the park.

attributive: pretended + [illness] to avoid obligation

Common collocations
  • pretended interest
  • pretended illness
  • pretended name
  • pretended calm / calmness
  • pretended sympathy
  • pretended ignorance
  • pretended enthusiasm
Synonyms
  • fake

    More common and informal; can describe objects ('a fake passport') as well as behaviour — 'pretended' is more about performed attitudes or identities.

  • feigned

    More formal; strongly associated with emotions ('feigned surprise') rather than objects or names.

  • false

    Broader and more neutral; can describe anything that is incorrect or deceptive, not just deliberate performance.

  • mock

    Often suggests imitation for effect (mock horror) rather than deception; may carry a playful tone.

Antonyms
  • genuine

    Describes feelings or actions that are real and sincerely felt.

  • real

    The simplest opposite; contrasts anything made-up with what actually exists or is honestly meant.

Grammar Patterns

pretended + noun

Usage Note

Usually placed before a noun (attributive position), as in 'pretended ignorance' or 'pretended enthusiasm'. Can appear in predicative position ('His enthusiasm was pretended'), though this is less common than with similar words like 'fake' or 'false'.

Common Mistakes

He showed a pretended smile when receiving the award.
He showed a forced smile when receiving the award.
Use 'pretended' only when the person deliberately acts out a false feeling or identity; 'forced' or 'fake' sounds more natural for facial expressions. 'Pretended' works better for sustained acts (a pretended illness) than for brief moments.
She pretended illness to skip the meeting.
She used a pretended illness to skip the meeting.' / 'She pretended to be sick to skip the meeting.
'Pretended' as an adjective describes the noun that follows it; the verb form 'pretend' + infinitive is a different construction.

Word family

  • pretend
    verbA2
  • pretence
    nounB2
  • pretense
    nounB2
  • pretender
    nounC1
  • pretension
    nounC1
  • pretentious
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe something that is not real, but they differ in usage. 'Pretended' emphasizes a sustained act — someone knowingly performing a feeling or identity (a pretended illness, a pretended name). 'Fake' is broader and more informal, covering objects (a fake passport) and behaviour. 'Feigned' is the most formal and is almost always about emotions (feigned indifference, feigned surprise). 'False' is the most general and neutral, ranging from factual errors (false information) to deliberate deception (false identity). 'Mock' often carries a theatrical or playful tone (mock outrage) and does not always imply deception. For a deliberately false identity or sustained pretence, 'pretended' is the most precise choice: a pretended interest suggests someone is actively keeping up a show, while 'feigned interest' suggests a single moment of acting and 'fake interest' is more casual.

pretended ↗fake ↗feignedfalse ↗mock ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • under a pretended name

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Latin 'praetendere' (prae- 'before, in front' + tendere 'to stretch, extend'), meaning 'to stretch forth, put forward as a claim'. The word passed into Old French as 'pretendre' ('to claim, to assert') and entered Middle English during the 1300s as 'pretenden', meaning 'to claim, profess, or assert'. By the late 1500s, the adjective 'pretended' carried the sense of something that is 'claimed' — and by extension, 'claimed falsely'. The modern meaning of a deliberately false appearance was fully established by the 1600s.