feigned 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfānd How to pronounce feigned (audio)
Definition of feignednext
1
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality the feigned applause that polite people give after a bad concert

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

feigned

2 of 2

verb

past tense of feign
as in pretended
to present a false appearance of I would never feign illness just to get out of a test

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of feigned
Adjective
The scam operations typically involve bogus investment schemes and feigned romances that collectively extort tens of billions of dollars from victims around the world every year. — ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026 That leaves only the feigned feud between Paul and Gronkowski — Brady’s longtime pal and New England Patriots teammate. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
Kimmel feigned surprise at the delivery, even when the driver insisted on bringing the smaller one inside the studio. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 19 June 2026 Watts lunged at Aguilar, who feigned passing out instead of immediately fighting back. — Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for feigned
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feigned
  1. mock
  2. fake
  3. pretended
  4. strained
  5. double
  6. assumed
  7. false
  8. lip
Adjective
  • In it, Stanford University psychologist Philip Zimbardo had 24 male college students randomly assigned to play guards or inmates in a mock prison to see how power structures could affect the behavior of ordinary people.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Customs Air and Marine Operations agents also put on a show in Government Cut with a Blackhawk helicopter and two Customs boats chasing down agents in a mock smuggling vessel.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of mock
Adjective
  • While policymakers debate new privacy laws, doctors such as Julien Cavanagh say they are left to fix the mess that targeted online ads for fake cures create for patients’ health.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Criminals can imitate those messages to create panic and lure people toward fake login pages.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of fake
Verb
  • In 17 of those 19 times, the chatbot cited one of the outlets that pretended to be a local news site.
    — Huo Jingnan, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Prosecutors said Navarrete then drove to his parents’ home with his children and pretended to discovered his parents were dead.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of pretended
Adjective
  • That decision left the financially strained athletic department staring at a buyout of roughly $50 million.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The relationship between LaLiga and Real Madrid is beyond strained—see Tebas’ Nazi comments as an example—but on this two agreed that everyone involved had to bend the knee.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of strained
Adjective
  • By refining double magnetic resonance for a single atom, the team demonstrated a way to address these different magnetic components independently.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Jackson Chourio had a single and double, improving to 10 for 20 in the Series.
    — Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of double
Verb
  • Each has assumed a new place of influence within the Democratic Party over the last two years, filling a power vacuum created by President Joe Biden’s exit from the political stage.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Notably, Republican voters’ approval of Congress has dropped from 53% shortly after the GOP assumed control of Washington to 29% today.
    — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of assumed
Adjective
  • The men stopped short of signing the oath required for vouching, but Moriarty said that giving false names and starting the process was enough to justify the felony charges.
    — Mark Vancleave, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Bhengura faces a maximum of five years in prison on the false statements of citizenship in order to register to vote count and a maximum of one year in prison on the voting by an alien in a federal election count.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of false
Adjective
  • Likewise, lip masks designed to be worn overnight can provide improved hydration and comfort over daytime treatments.
    — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026
  • 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
Definition of lip

Browse Nearby Words

feign
feigned
feigner
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Feigned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feigned. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulsome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All