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pretend

Pronunciation: /pɹəˈtɛnd/

The English word “pretend” has 9 meanings listed here.

verb

  1. To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.
  2. To engage in make-believe.
  3. To feign, affect (a state, quality, etc.).
  4. To lay claim (to an ability, status, advantage, etc.).
  5. To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden.
  6. To intend; to design, to plot; to attempt.
  7. To hold before one; to extend.

adjective

  1. Not really what it is represented as being; imaginary, feigned.

noun

  1. The act of engaging in pretend play.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman pretendre, Middle French pretendre (French prétendre (“to claim, demand”)), from Latin praetendere (“to put forward, hold out, pretend”), from prae- (“pre-”) + tendō (“stretch”); see tend.

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.