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

Communicating once and pretending people are not having reactions and doubts is unhelpful. — Maria Ross, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Maybe the most ethical – and enjoyable – way to travel now is to stop pretending you live there and embrace your status as a tourist. — Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 31 July 2026

So the magnolia is a generalist, and the orchids are very, very specialized, sometimes in cooperative ways with their pollinators, and sometimes in sneaky exploitative ways, like pretending to be a female wasp so male wasps try and mate with you. — Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 30 July 2026

What stands out is how little effort the president put into pretending this is not the case. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

No one in production knows much about anything, and all the behind-the-scenes people are merely pretending, just like actors. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 29 July 2026

The video is part of a viral trend in which people dramatically take a seat in front of a camera while pretending to film a Netflix documentary. — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026

An elderly Parker County man was beaten and robbed by a woman who gained access to his home after pretending to be a police officer, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Saturday. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 July 2026

Europe will need gas, and gas diplomacy, well into the 2030s, and pretending otherwise helps no one. — John Kerry, semafor.com, 23 July 2026