verb to make someone believe you are something else, so as to trick them ○ He got into the house by pretending to be a telephone engineer. ○ She pretended she had flu and phoned to say she was having the day off.
pre•tend´
v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pretended; p. pr. & vb. n. Pretending.] [OE. pretenden to lay claim to, F. pretendre, L. praetendere, praetentum, to stretch forward, pretend, simulate, assert; prae before + tendere to stretch. See Tend, v. t. ]
1. To lay a claim to; to allege a title to; to claim. “Chiefs shall be grudged the part which they pretend.” Dryden.
2. To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden. [R.] “Lest that too heavenly form, pretended
To hellish falsehood, snare them.” Milton.
3. To hold out, or represent, falsely; to put forward, or offer, as true or real (something untrue or unreal); to show hypocritically, or for the purpose of deceiving; to simulate; to feign; as to pretend friendship. “This let him know,
Lest, willfully transgressing, he pretend
Surprisal.” Milton.
4. To intend; to design; to plot; to attempt. [Obs.] “Such as shall pretend
Malicious practices against his state.” Shak.
5. To hold before one; to extend. [Obs.] ´His target always over her pretended.´ Spenser.
1. To lay a claim to; to allege a title to; to claim. “Chiefs shall be grudged the part which they pretend.” Dryden.
2. To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden. [R.] “Lest that too heavenly form, pretended
To hellish falsehood, snare them.” Milton.
3. To hold out, or represent, falsely; to put forward, or offer, as true or real (something untrue or unreal); to show hypocritically, or for the purpose of deceiving; to simulate; to feign; as to pretend friendship. “This let him know,
Lest, willfully transgressing, he pretend
Surprisal.” Milton.
4. To intend; to design; to plot; to attempt. [Obs.] “Such as shall pretend
Malicious practices against his state.” Shak.
5. To hold before one; to extend. [Obs.] ´His target always over her pretended.´ Spenser.
pre•tend´
v. i. 1. To put in, or make, a claim, truly or falsely; to allege a title; to lay claim to, or strive after, something; — usually with to. ´Countries that pretend to freedom.´ Swift. “For to what fine he would anon pretend,
That know I well.” Chaucer.
2. To hold out the appearance of being, possessing, or performing; to profess; to make believe; to feign; to sham; as to pretend to be asleep. ´[He] pretended to drink the waters.´ Macaulay.
That know I well.” Chaucer.
2. To hold out the appearance of being, possessing, or performing; to profess; to make believe; to feign; to sham; as to pretend to be asleep. ´[He] pretended to drink the waters.´ Macaulay.
Meaning of “pretend” in English language – verb to make someone believe you are som...
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