pretend

From Anglo-Norman pretendre, Middle French pretendre (French prétendre (“to claim, demand”)), from Latin praetendere, present active infinitive of praetendō (“put forward, hold out, pretend”), from prae- (“pre-”) + tendō (“stretch”); see tend.

• IPA^(key): /pɹəˈtɛnd/, /pɹiˈtɛnd/, /pɹɪˈtɛnd/

• Audio (General American):

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• Rhymes: -ɛnd
• Hyphenation: pre‧tend

pretend (third-person singular simple present pretends, present participle pretending, simple past and past participle pretended)

1. (transitive) To claim, to allege, especially when falsely or as a form of deliberate deception [with clause]. [from 14th c.]

   You don't have to pretend that the soup tastes fine.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter 23, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book XVIII:

     "After what past at Upton, so soon to engage in a new amour with another woman, while I fancied, and you pretended, your heart was bleeding for me!"

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

     It's rather like a beautiful Inverness cloak one has inherited. Much too good to hide away, so one wears it instead of an overcoat and pretends it's an amusing new fashion.

   • 1983 October 31, Genesis, “That's All”, in Genesis‎^[1]:

     But I love you / More than I wanted to / There's no point in trying to pretend

   • 2009 April 13, “Vanity publishing”, in The Economist:

     I have nothing but contempt for people who hire ghost-writers. But at least most faux authors have the decency to pretend that they are sweating blood over "their" book.

2. (transitive) To make oneself appear to do or be doing something; to engage in make-believe [with infinitive]. [from 15th c.]

   She moved her fingers and pretended to play the piano.

   • 1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter VI, in Mansfield Park: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, pages 111–112:

     "The truth is, Ma'am," said Mrs. Grant, pretending to whisper across the table to Mrs. Norris, "that Dr. Grant hardly knows what the natural taste of our apricot is; […]."

   • 2003 January 23, Duncan Campbell, The Guardian, London:

     Luster claimed that the women had consented to sex and were only pretending to be asleep.

3. (transitive) To feign, affect (a state, quality, etc.). [from 15th c.]

   She's pretending illness to get out of the business meeting.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     This let him know, / Lest, wilfully transgressing, he pretend / Surprisal.

   • 1971, Gwen White, Antique Toys And Their Background, page 193:

     Towards the end of the nineteenth century, boys who had pretended soldiers down through the centuries, now changed their pikes and swords for toy pistols.

   • 2007 October 29, The Guardian, London:

     Gap and other clothes manufacturers should stop using small subcontractors because they are difficult to control. Instead, they should open up their own fully-owned production facilities so that they cannot pretend ignorance when abuses are committed.

4. (intransitive, dated) To lay claim to (an ability, status, advantage, etc.) [(usually) with to (but originally without)]. [from 15th c.]
   • 1682, John Dryden, The Medal:

     Chiefs shall be grudged the part which they pretend.

   • 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.25:

     People observed the diversity of schools and the acerbity of their disputes, and decided that all alike were pretending to knowledge which was in fact unattainable.

5. (transitive, obsolete) To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     Lest that too heavenly form, pretended / To hellish falsehood, snare them.

6. (transitive, obsolete) To intend; to design, to plot; to attempt.
   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

     Such as shall pretend / Malicious practices against his state.

7. (transitive, obsolete) To hold before one; to extend.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     Pastorella […] Was by the Captaine all this while defended, / Who, minding more her safety then himselfe, / His target alwayes over her pretended […].

   • 1596, Edm[und] Spenser, “An Hymne of Heavenly Beautie”, in Fowre Hymnes, London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, page 43:

     But had thoſe vvits the vvonders of their dayes, / Or that ſvveete Teian Poet [Anacreon] vvhich did ſpend / His plenteous vaine in ſetting forth her [Venus's] prayſe, / Seene but a glims of this, vvhich I pretend, / Hovv vvondrouſly vvould he her face commend, […]

This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

• pretender
• pretense
• pretension
• pretentious
• pretentiousness

• “pretend”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “pretend”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

pretend (not comparable)

1. Not really what it is represented as being; imaginary, feigned.

   As children we used to go on "spying" missions around the neighbour's house, but it was all pretend.

pretend (uncountable)

1. (childish, informal) the act of engaging in pretend play.

When used as a noun, pretend is almost exclusively preceded by some form of play, as in "playing pretend". Formally, the activity is more likely to be called pretend play, or roleplay when the participants are not children.