Synonyms of pretend

pretend 1 of 2

verb

pri-ˈtend 

1

as in to pose

to take on a false or deceptive appearance

I pretended that I didn't care that my ex had a new man in her life

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pose
• play
• assume
• act
• dissimulate
• make believe
• dissemble
• fake
• simulate
• let on
• make a show
• conceal
• make out
• masquerade
• make a pretense
• profess
• put on an act
• feign
• put up a front
• impersonate
• disguise
• affect
• mask
• playact
• camouflage
• sham
• put on
• counterfeit
• bluff
• feint

2

as in to assume

to present a false appearance of

as if I would ever pretend illness just to take off a day from work

Synonyms & Similar Words

• assume
• simulate
• act
• affect
• feign
• profess
• pass (for)
• make believe
• fake
• dissemble
• bluff
• conceal
• put on
• pose
• counterfeit
• play
• sham
• forge
• imitate
• masquerade
• impersonate
• let on
• dissimulate
• disguise
• camouflage
• mask
• playact
• feint
• malinger

pretend

2 of 2

adjective

1

as in faux

being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials

if you were to see the movie's pretend jewels in real life, you wouldn't be fooled for a minute

Synonyms & Similar Words

• faux
• fake
• simulated
• synthetic
• dummy
• artificial
• imitation
• mock
• false
• mimic
• imitative
• substitute
• manufactured
• sham
• ersatz
• factitious
• designer
• bogus
• counterfeit
• process
• manipulated
• deceptive
• man-made
• engineered
• fabricated
• cultured
• concocted
• forged
• pseudo
• misleading
• phoney
• feigned
• unauthentic
• adulterated
• phony
• fraudulent
• doctored
• fudged
• affected
• juggled
• spurious
• tampered (with)
• pinchbeck
• brummagem

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• real
• natural
• genuine
• true
• legitimate
• authentic
• bona fide
• valuable
• pure
• quality
• premium
• unadulterated

2

as in imaginary

not real and existing only in the imagination

it's just a pretend gun, so please pretend that I got you and play dead

Synonyms & Similar Words

• imaginary
• fictitious
• fictional
• mythic
• mythical
• fantasied
• imagined
• invented
• fantastical
• ideal
• make-believe
• phantom
• unreal
• unlikely
• imaginal
• fanciful
• chimerical
• chimeric
• theoretic
• theoretical
• notional
• made-up
• fantastic
• legendary
• phantasmal
• fabulous
• romantic
• hypothetical
• visionary
• phantasmic
• fabled
• abstract
• envisioned
• unconvincing
• deceptive
• unbelievable
• conceived
• illusory
• pictured
• envisaged
• concocted
• visualized
• feigned
• nonexistent
• fictive
• delusive
• delusional
• fabricated
• hallucinatory
• phantasmagoric
• phantasmagorical
• daydreamlike
• inexistent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• real
• actual
• true
• genuine
• existing
• authentic
• existent
• convincing
• factual
• realistic
• verifiable
• physical
• believable
• substantial
• solid
• verified
• tangible
• corporeal
• material
• palpable

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb pretend contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pretend are affect, assume, counterfeit, feign, sham, and simulate. While all these words mean "to put on a false or deceptive appearance," pretend implies an overt and sustained false appearance.

pretended that nothing had happened

Where would affect be a reasonable alternative to pretend?

In some situations, the words affect and pretend are roughly equivalent. However, affect implies making a false show of possessing, using, or feeling.

affected an interest in art

When might assume be a better fit than pretend?

Although the words assume and pretend have much in common, assume often implies a justifiable motive rather than an intent to deceive.

assumed an air of cheerfulness around the patients

In what contexts can counterfeit take the place of pretend?

The meanings of counterfeit and pretend largely overlap; however, counterfeit implies achieving the highest degree of verisimilitude of any of these words.

an actor counterfeiting drunkenness

How does the word feign relate to other synonyms for pretend?

Feign implies more artful invention than pretend, less specific mimicry than simulate.

feigned sickness

When is sham a more appropriate choice than pretend?

The words sham and pretend can be used in similar contexts, but sham implies an obvious falseness that fools only the gullible.

shammed a most unconvincing limp

When can simulate be used instead of pretend?

While in some cases nearly identical to pretend, simulate suggests a close imitation of the appearance of something.

cosmetics that simulate a suntan

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pretend

Verb

We’re done funding companies that pretend to stand for something while doing nothing. —Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 24 June 2025

A lot of people at the pro-Trump channel privately can’t stand the president but pretend otherwise, Carlson claimed. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 24 June 2025

Adjective

In the book, Hannah tries to get the attention of her longtime crush Justin — a college rock band singer — by tutoring the captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date. —Jordana Comiter, People.com, 7 May 2025

Before kick-off, the ‘Fondo Norte’ area behind the goal on the north side of the stadium was empty, except for two fans playing a pretend game of tennis. —Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025