1
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
the feigned applause that polite people give after a bad concert
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fake
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
the feigned looks of innocence I got when I asked who had broken the lamp
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pretended
to present a false appearance of
I would never feign illness just to get out of a test
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of feigned
T. M. Brown, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2025
Stewart exclaimed with feigned enthusiasm.
—Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 9 Sep. 2025
Eve Fairbanks, The Dial, 27 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, the day after Carr targeted the time slot, Colbert feigned shock.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for feigned
Adjective
There’s no feigned seriousness, no proclamations of honesty.
—T. M. Brown, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2025
Stewart exclaimed with feigned enthusiasm.
—Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
Many feigned mental illnesses just to leave the barracks.
—Eve Fairbanks, The Dial, 27 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, the day after Carr targeted the time slot, Colbert feigned shock.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for feigned
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feigned
Adjective
-
This mock draft has edge rushers off the board with the second, third and fourth selections.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Fast forward through a remote interview, an in-person interview and a mock assignment, and Manaois had landed the job.—
Sarah Jackson,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The difference between a real deadline, imposed for legitimate reasons from without, and a fake one, conjured from within, is like the difference between eating brunch and seeing it on Instagram.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Later, O’Brien touted a fake company tasked with reformatting movies for smaller and smaller handheld devices, but the joke missed the mark.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Moïse told jurors she was shot first, then pretended to be dead.—
Tania Francois,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The fake store contained an app that pretended to come from Brazil’s social security system, which Kaspersky analyzed and found to be malicious.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In a rare public tirade against a member of their ranks, leaders insisted that Orbán must respect the 27-nation bloc's decision in December to fund Ukraine's armed forces and strained economy for the next two years.—
LORNE COOK,
Arkansas Online,
20 Mar. 2026
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Quentin Grimes scored 27 points as the 76ers ended a five-game road losing streak and won for the fourth time in their last six games playing without their two biggest stars — Joel Embiid (strained right oblique) and Tyrese Maxey (finger).—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Authorities have arrested a suspect in the fatal double shooting that left two teenagers dead last Tuesday evening, according to city officials.—
CBS News Atlanta Staff,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
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In a rare confluence, Nowruz, the Persian new year, fell on the same day — making Friday a double holiday for many Iranians.—
Siham Shamalakh,
Washington Post,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Top police officer Martin Ondrášek said police assumed arson.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Chris Martin, the band's frontman, and much of the internet assumed the two had been caught in an affair, and the narrative spread like wildfire.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The problem is that such inferences are often wildly speculative and will almost certainly lead to false convictions or arrests.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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The defendants and company executives allegedly prepared false documents and communications to show that the company was the end user of the servers.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tatianna points to cinnamon as a conductor of heat—one commonly used in lip plumper products to achieve a sultry pout.—
Essence,
Essence,
23 Nov. 2025
-
The pop of color offers a shimmer-free (rare!) means of warming up a wedding look and works equally well at lip level.—
Calin Van Paris,
Vogue,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Feigned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feigned. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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