as in pretends
to present a false appearance of
I would never feign illness just to get out of a test
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 feigns
Someone who’s really living the Andrew Tate-like lifestyle Jacob only feigns is his bestie Cameron (Dylan Playfair).
—
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feigns
Verb
-
In a particularly poignant moment in the film, Jiang stands by the window at night and pretends to capture and punch the shadow of a security guard downstairs.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The label is applied when a teen pretends or forces himself to present in this way just to win the romantic attention of the young women around him.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Downcoding based only on that knowledge assumes that an office visit for a certain set of diagnoses has a ceiling of complexity, regardless of the patient’s medical history and the realities of what actually occurred during that visit.—
Kenzi Abou-Sabe,
NBC news,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Too often, technology assumes the material world will keep pace with ambition.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The seats move, wind gets blown at you (something that makes for a particularly unsettling moment when a character is shot in the head and the 4DX system simulates the bullet whizzing into your ear), and lights pop on and off around the auditorium to simulate gunfire and other effects.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The Tutor simulates real dialogue, letting learners practice speaking, ask questions, and get instant feedback at their own pace.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Feigns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feigns. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share