Synonyms of pretended

pretended 1 of 2

adjective

pri-ˈten-dəd 

1

as in mock

lacking in natural or spontaneous quality

he shows a pretended affection for his girlfriend's cat

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mock
• strained
• false
• fake
• assumed
• unnatural
• exaggerated
• forced
• affected
• feigned
• simulated
• contrived
• mechanical
• pseudo
• artificial
• plastic
• sham
• phony
• bogus
• cute
• spurious
• factitious
• put-on
• theatrical
• hollow
• calculated
• manufactured
• unreal
• pat
• empty
• labored
• automatic
• deliberate
• fabricated
• concocted
• hypocritical
• unrealistic
• canned
• insincere
• conscious
• formal
• stiff
• studied
• wooden
• cultivated
• hokey
• facile
• unctuous
• melodramatic
• conventional
• two-faced
• mealy
• unauthentic
• premeditated
• histrionic
• impersonal
• mealymouthed
• stylized
• overacted
• rigid
• double-dealing
• simpering
• genteel
• cutesy
• left-handed
• overdone
• overrefined
• mincing
• inflexible
• artful
• goody-goody

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• genuine
• real
• unaffected
• spontaneous
• true
• natural
• right
• artless
• authentic
• bona fide
• realistic
• sincere
• honest
• unfeigned
• easy
• ingenuous
• unforced
• uncontrived
• smooth
• unconscious
• effortless
• impromptu
• instinctive
• unpretending
• impulsive
• extemporaneous
• unprompted
• unrehearsed
• unstudied

2

as in fake

not being or expressing what one appears to be or express

hoped that his pretended interest in classical music would impress the boss

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fake
• double
• feigned
• strained
• assumed
• lip
• meaningless
• superficial
• hollow
• hypocritical
• counterfeit
• artificial
• insincere
• phony
• backhanded
• pious
• forced
• mechanical
• false
• affected
• jive
• unnatural
• unctuous
• contrived
• mealy
• two-faced
• dishonest
• double-faced
• phony-baloney
• empty
• simulated
• mealymouthed
• Pecksniffian
• double-dealing
• Janus-faced
• left-handed
• sham
• deceitful
• put-on
• glib
• untruthful
• bogus
• devious
• facile
• claptrap
• facetious
• sanctimonious
• tongue-in-cheek
• jocular
• pharisaical
• campy
• simon-pure
• self-righteous
• canting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• genuine
• sincere
• honest
• unfeigned
• candid
• artless
• heartfelt
• open
• plain
• direct
• frank
• undesigning
• straightforward
• forthright
• heart-to-heart

pretended

2 of 2

verb

past tense of pretend

1

as in posed

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

• posed
• acted
• assumed
• played
• faked
• made believe
• made a show
• dissembled
• let on
• simulated
• dissimulated
• concealed
• masqueraded
• made a pretense
• professed
• made out
• disguised
• feigned
• put on an act
• impersonated
• put up a front
• masked
• affected
• camouflaged
• shammed
• counterfeited
• bluffed
• put on
• playacted
• feinted

2

as in assumed

to present a false appearance of

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• assumed
• simulated
• acted
• feigned
• professed
• affected
• passed (for)
• made believe
• faked
• shammed
• bluffed
• dissembled
• concealed
• posed
• counterfeited
• forged
• put on
• played
• imitated
• masqueraded
• impersonated
• disguised
• camouflaged
• let on
• masked
• dissimulated
• feinted
• playacted
• malingered

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pretended

Verb

The pope, formerly Robert Prevost, grew up in a deeply Catholic family in Chicago where the three sons all served as altar boys in church, their parents led nightly recitations of the Rosary and young Robert pretended to be a priest. — Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026

The story goes that the couple had gone home from his show, and the husband pretended to be the Lovemaster. — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026

The indie film is about a pair of Scottish rappers who pretended to be American to get a record deal. — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026

These generated millions of views, and some of them got really weird; Chism and his kids dressed like babies, or pretended to eat cat food off pizza. — Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026

Democrats found plenty to ridicule about Dallas 2026, from the strategic absence of most swing-seat GOP candidates to the empty tier of seats that the president pretended not to see. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026

At one point, Fred was swindled out of upward of $15,000 when someone pretended to be the owner of a house for sale that Fred wanted to buy. — Megan Rose, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2026

Police later determined that Bianchi and Buono often pretended to be off-duty police officers to lure their victims. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026

The wild videos of Daejon Love, the 35-year-old man who pretended to be a 49ers receiver. — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026