Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Pretend
Pre-tend′
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Pretended
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pretending
.] [OE. ]
pretenden
to lay claim to, F. prétendre
, L. praetendere
, praetentum
, to stretch forward, pretend, simulate, assert; prae
before + tendere
to stretch. See Tend
, Verb.
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,
To hellish falsehood, snare them.
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
friendshipThis let him know,
Lest, willfully transgressing, he
Surprisal.
Lest, willfully transgressing, he
pretend
Surprisal.
Milton.
4.
To intend; to design; to plot; to attempt.
[Obs.]
Such as shall
Malicious practices against his state.
pretend
Malicious practices against his state.
Shakespeare
5.
To hold before one; to extend.
[Obs.]
“His target always over her pretended.” Spenser.
Pre-tend′
,Verb.
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
That know I well.
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;
“[He] pretended to drink the waters.” as, to
. pretend
to be asleepMacaulay.
Webster 1828 Edition
Pretend
PRETEND'
,Verb.
T.
1.
Literally, to reach or stretch forward; used by Dryden, but this use is not well authorized.2.
To hold out, as a false appearance; to offer something feigned instead of that which is real; to simulate, in words or actions. This let him know,
Lest willfully transgressing, he pretend
Surprisal.
3.
To show hypocritically; as, to pretend great zeal when the heart is not engaged; to pretend patriotism for the sake of gaining popular applause or obtaining an office.4.
To exhibit as a cover for something hidden. Lest that too heavenly form, pretended
To hellish falsehood, snare them. [Not in use.]
5.
To claim. Chiefs shall be grudg'd the part which they pretend.
[In this we generally use pretend to.]
6.
To intend; to design. [Not used.]PRETEND'
,Verb.
T.
Definition 2024
pretend
pretend
See also: prétend
English
Verb
pretend (third-person singular simple present pretends, present participle pretending, simple past and past participle pretended)
- To claim, allege, especially when falsely or as a form of deliberate deception. [from 14th c.]
- 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, XVIII.23:
- "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:
- ‘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.’
- 2009, "Vanity publishing", The Economist, 13 Apr 2009:
- 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.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, XVIII.23:
- To feign, affect (a state, quality, etc.). [from 15th c.]
- Milton
- This let him know, / Lest, willfully transgressing, he pretend / Surprisal.
- 2007, The Guardian, 29 Oct 2007:
- 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.
- Milton
- To lay claim to (an ability, status, advantage, etc.). [from 15th c.] (originally used without to)
- Dryden
- 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.
- Dryden
- To make oneself appear to do or be doing something; to engage in make-believe.
- 1814, Jane Austen, Mansfield Park:
- "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, Duncan Campbell, The Guardian, 23 Jan 2003:
- Luster claimed that the women had consented to sex and were only pretending to be asleep.
- 1814, Jane Austen, Mansfield Park:
- (transitive, obsolete) To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden.
- Milton
- Lest that too heavenly form, pretended / To hellish falsehood, snare them.
- Milton
- (transitive, obsolete) To intend; to design; to plot; to attempt.
- Shakespeare
- Such as shall pretend / Malicious practices against his state.
- Shakespeare
- (transitive, obsolete) To hold before one; to extend.
- 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, VI.11:
- Pastorella […] Was by the Captaine all this while defended, / Who, minding more her safety then himselfe, / His target alwayes over her pretended […].
- 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, VI.11:
Usage notes
- This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs
Related terms
Translations
to allege falsely
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to lay claim to
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to make oneself appear to do something
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