pretended

American  

[pri-ten-did] / prɪˈtɛn dɪd /

adjective

1. insincerely or falsely professed.

   a pretended interest in art.

2. feigned, fictitious, or counterfeit.

   His pretended wealth was proved to be nonexistent.

3. alleged or asserted; reputed.

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Other Word Forms

• pretendedly adverb
• self-pretended adjective
• unpretended adjective

Etymology

Origin of pretended

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; pretend, -ed ²

Example Sentences

Judge Williams said Villafane charmed his partner and pretended to be caring and generous.

From BBC

He said he realized he needed to quit when he pretended he needed to use the bathroom while he was hanging out with friends so he could return to his chatbots.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some pretended to be difficult customers to allow the waitstaff to rehearse for future nitpicking.

From The Wall Street Journal

The post–Plaza Accord bargain, where Japan lent America back the money that Americans spent on Japanese exports, was built on temporary conditions that everyone pretended were permanent.

From MarketWatch

Madame pretended to be heartbroken, but she had no interest in caring for the child either, and so the boy would have to stay home.

From Literature