Synonyms

feigning

American

[fey-ning] / feɪ nɪŋ /

noun

the act of pretending or putting on a show in order to deceive.

The feigning of hurt feelings is just a manipulative ploy she uses.

adjective

putting on a show in order to deceive; pretending.

“It hurts,” moaned the feigning child on the floor, gripping her ankle in a convincing display of pain.

Other Word Forms

feigningly adverb
unfeigning adjective
unfeigningly adverb

Etymology

Origin of feigning

First recorded in 1350–1400; feign ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; feign ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

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.

However, the “Hannah Montana” star did not end her mockery there—going on to accuse Cooper of feigning innocence about the proximity of their properties.

From MarketWatch

I copy her finger motion, feigning ignorance, even though I know what she’s talking about.

From Literature

He led off the “Weekend Update” sketch by feigning shock at her firing, asking viewers to “name one to 20 things she did wrong.”

From Salon

Crisis actor is a derogatory label used by conspiracy theorists to allege that someone is deceiving the public -- feigning injuries or death -- while posing as a victim of a tragic event.

From Barron's

Verstappen challenged Norris for the first few laps, even feigning an overtaking attempt on the Briton at one point, but eventually began to drop back complaining of bouncing and jumping from his car.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023