feign

[ feyn ]

verb (used with object)

1. to represent fictitiously; put on an appearance of:

   to feign sickness.

2. to invent fictitiously or deceptively, as a story or an excuse.
3. to imitate deceptively:

   to feign another's voice.

verb (used without object)

1. to make believe; pretend:

   She's only feigning, she isn't really ill.

feign

/ feɪn /

verb

1. to put on a show of (a quality or emotion); pretend

   to feign innocence

2. tr to make up; invent

   to feign an excuse

3. tr to copy; imitate

   to feign someone's laugh

Derived Forms

• ˈfeigningly, adverb
• ˈfeigner, noun

Other Words From

• feign·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of feign¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English fei(g)nen, from Old French feign-, present stem of faindre, feindre, from Latin fingere “to feign, invent, shape”

Word History and Origins

Origin of feign¹

C13: from Old French feindre to pretend, from Latin fingere to form, shape, invent

Synonym Study

See pretend.

Example Sentences

For now, though, there is no need to feign graciousness—and there is no need to pretend that any of this is or ever will be truly OK.

From Slate

I had to feign like I was upset: “Kevin, you’re never gonna guess what happened…” He goes, “OK, lemme think about that,” and next thing I know, he delivers the title “I Will Always Love You” to me.

From Los Angeles Times

Can JD Vance feign normalcy for 90 minutes?

From Los Angeles Times

Simply put, a player could feign injury to prevent the resumption of play and slow their opponents' momentum - but it is virtually impossible to prove.

From BBC

He heard Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson on “the Richard Sherman Podcast” divulge how he could feign a coverage to fool a quarterback, so he approached Johnson before Sunday’s game, telling him with a laugh, “I heard your secrets on the Richard Sherman podcast, dude. That palms look. You ain’t getting me!”

From Los Angeles Times