Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

pretended

adjective
pre·​tend·​ed | \pri-ˈten-dəd \

Definition of pretended 

: professed or avowed but not genuine pretended affection

Other Words from pretended Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about pretended

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from pretended

pretendedly adverb

Examples of pretended in a Sentence

he shows a pretended affection for his girlfriend's cat hoped that his pretended interest in classical music would impress the boss

Recent Examples on the Web

 No, seriously: People were very upset by these shoes, or at least pretended to be. — Heather Wilhelm, National Review, "The Death of Fun as We Know It," 31 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pretended.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of pretended

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about pretended

Statistics for pretended

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for pretended

The first known use of pretended was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on pretended

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with pretended

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pretended

Nglish: Translation of pretended for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of pretended for Arabic Speakers

Comments on pretended

What made you want to look up pretended? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

immure

to enclose within walls

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Late Autumn 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

  • frosted-autumn-leaves
  • Which is a synonym of yahoo?
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games