Synonyms of pretending

pretending 1 of 2

adjective

as in hypocritical

Related Words

• hypocritical
• duplicitous
• insincere
• posing
• dissimulating
• dissembling
• bluffing
• unscrupulous
• untrustworthy
• unreliable
• equivocating
• unbelievable
• deceptive
• lying
• evasive
• sneaky
• treacherous
• wily
• deceitful
• undependable
• tricky
• sly
• underhanded
• slick
• slippery
• devious
• artful
• untrue
• fallacious
• dishonest
• false
• mendacious
• fibbing
• prevaricating
• untruthful

Dissimilar Words

• honest
• truthful
• direct
• plain
• open
• veracious
• forthcoming
• frank
• outspoken
• true
• candid
• forthright
• believable
• credible
• veritable
• out-front
• plainspoken
• freehearted
• openhearted
• free-spoken
• foursquare

pretending

2 of 2

verb

present participle of pretend

1

as in posing

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

• posing
• playing
• acting
• faking
• masquerading
• simulating
• dissembling
• assuming
• dissimulating
• concealing
• making believe
• making a show
• letting on
• impersonating
• feigning
• disguising
• professing
• making out
• making a pretense
• putting on an act
• shamming
• playacting
• putting up a front
• masking
• affecting
• camouflaging
• counterfeiting
• bluffing
• putting on
• feinting

2

as in simulating

to present a false appearance of

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• simulating
• assuming
• acting
• feigning
• affecting
• professing
• faking
• bluffing
• posing
• shamming
• passing (for)
• dissembling
• concealing
• counterfeiting
• playing
• forging
• masquerading
• imitating
• putting on
• impersonating
• making believe
• disguising
• camouflaging
• masking
• dissimulating
• playacting
• letting on
• malingering
• feinting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pretending

Adjective

There can be no more pretending, briefing or hiding. — Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025

Verb

In Mozart’s original, two Italian soldiers decide to test their lovers’ fidelity by pretending to head off to war. — ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026

Respondents questioned Dave Aranda’s roster construction, the program’s lack of identity and why everybody is pretending this isn’t a lame-duck season. — Manny Navarro, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Junior Engineers None of this is free, and pretending otherwise would insult the people who have to sign the budgets. — IEEE Spectrum, 2 Sep. 2026

Like any parent, she is frazzled and tired and overwhelmed and not pretending otherwise. — Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026

Assassination-for-hire is the tragicomic domain of people looking for someone to kill a spouse or a rival but getting blackmailed by teenagers pretending to be hit men in the process. — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026

So pretending imbalance isn't happening — like when one partner is regularly absorbing all the work and smiling through it — just delays the same resentment that often festers in exchange relationships. — Mark Travers, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026

The fix is to stop pretending a general-purpose adult chatbot is a children's tutor. — Dana Williams, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Concerned, the father logged into his son's backup Instagram account and exchanged more messages with Partee while pretending to be his son. — Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 28 Aug. 2026