feint

[ feynt ]

noun

1. a movement made in order to deceive an adversary; an attack aimed at one place or point merely as a distraction from the real place or point of attack:

   military feints; the feints of a skilled fencer.

2. a feigned or assumed appearance:

   His air of approval was a feint to conceal his real motives.

verb (used without object)

1. to make a feint:

   He feinted left, then struck his opponent with a roar.

verb (used with object)

1. to make a feint at; deceive with a feint.
2. to make a false show of; simulate.

feint

¹

/ feɪnt /

noun

1. printing the narrowest rule used in the production of ruled paper

feint

²

/ feɪnt /

noun

1. a mock attack or movement designed to distract an adversary, as in a military manoeuvre or in boxing, fencing, etc
2. a misleading action or appearance

verb

1. intr to make a feint

Word History and Origins

Origin of feint¹

First recorded in 1670–80; from French feinte, from Old French feinte “fabrication,” noun use of feminine of feint “pretended,” past participle of feindre; feign

Word History and Origins

Origin of feint¹

C19: variant of faint

Origin of feint²

C17: from French feinte , from feint pretended, from Old French feindre to feign

Example Sentences

Maybe that's just one big feint but I'm guessing that's the true Vance game plan: attack Walz as a San Francisco hippie, hit Biden and Harris and pump up Trump.

From Salon

On a metatextual level, the show is itself a masterful feint.

From Los Angeles Times

That October, Fox News’ Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier asked Buttigieg a leading question about the policy differences between Biden and Harris, only to have Buttigieg feint, brilliantly.

From Los Angeles Times

And House Republicans layered on another preposterous lie: Hunter Biden’s conviction was a feint to distract us from the real crimes of the father, the ones that House Republicans haven’t been able to identify despite more than a year of investigations.

From Los Angeles Times

Of course, there’s the obligatory feint at originalism: The “Appeal to Heaven” flag is about “the American revolution,” Alito writes, and expresses merely “a religious and patriotic message.”

From Slate

Related Words

• ruse