feign

American  

[feyn] / feɪn /

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.

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verb (used without object)

1. to make believe; pretend.

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

feign British  

/ 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

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Related Words

See pretend.

Other Word Forms

• feigner noun
• feigningly adverb

Etymology

Origin of feign

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”

Example Sentences

Or that night we stumbled onto a giant controlled burn and saw the flames reach up and tickle the moon and recognized the gnawing feeling that fire is something we can only feign to control.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026

The perpetrator would have to keep at least one clue from his victims to feign innocence, but a subtle inconsistency would allow others to infer his guilt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

I would feign shock or dismay at its popularity if I didn’t already know that we are a nation of self-serving masochists.

From Salon • Apr. 8, 2025

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 • Sep. 23, 2024

Rishi looked at him, forcing himself to feign a bit of surprise, as if he hadn’t noticed Evan perched on his chair like he was king of the table, the restaurant, and the world.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon