pretend
See also: prétend
English
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman pretendre, Middle French pretendre (French prétendre (“to claim, demand”)), from Latin praetendere, present active infinitive of praetendō (“put forward, hold out, pretend”), from prae- (“pre-”) + tendō (“stretch”); see tend.
Pronunciation
Verb
pretend (third-person singular simple present pretends, present participle pretending, simple past and past participle pretended)
- To claim, to allege, especially when falsely or as a form of deliberate deception. [from 14th c.]
- 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, XVIII.23:
- "After what past at Upton, so soon to engage in a new amour with another woman, while I fancied, and you pretended, your heart was bleeding for me!"
- 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess, →OL:
- It's rather like a beautiful Inverness cloak one has inherited. Much too good to hide away, so one wears it instead of an overcoat and pretends it's an amusing new fashion.
- 2009 April 13, “Vanity publishing”, in The Economist:
- I have nothing but contempt for people who hire ghost-writers. But at least most faux authors have the decency to pretend that they are sweating blood over "their" book.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, XVIII.23:
- To feign, affect (a state, quality, etc.). [from 15th c.]
- (Can we date this quote by John Milton and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- This let him know, / Lest, willfully transgressing, he pretend / Surprisal.
- 2007 October 29, The Guardian, London:
- Gap and other clothes manufacturers should stop using small subcontractors because they are difficult to control. Instead, they should open up their own fully-owned production facilities so that they cannot pretend ignorance when abuses are committed.
- (Can we date this quote by John Milton and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- To lay claim to (an ability, status, advantage, etc.). [from 15th c.] (originally used without to)
- (Can we date this quote by Dryden and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Chiefs shall be grudged the part which they pretend.
- 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.25:
- People observed the diversity of schools and the acerbity of their disputes, and decided that all alike were pretending to knowledge which was in fact unattainable.
- (Can we date this quote by Dryden and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- To make oneself appear to do or be doing something; to engage in make-believe.
- 1814 July, [Jane Austen], chapter VI, in Mansfield Park: […], volume I, London: […] T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, pages 111–112:
- "The truth is, Ma'am," said Mrs. Grant, pretending to whisper across the table to Mrs. Norris, "that Dr. Grant hardly knows what the natural taste of our apricot is; […]."
- 2003 January 23, Duncan Campbell, The Guardian, London:
- Luster claimed that the women had consented to sex and were only pretending to be asleep.
- (transitive, obsolete) To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden.
- (Can we date this quote by John Milton and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Lest that too heavenly form, pretended / To hellish falsehood, snare them.
- (Can we date this quote by John Milton and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- (transitive, obsolete) To intend; to design, to plot; to attempt.
- (Can we date this quote by William Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Such as shall pretend / Malicious practices against his state.
- (Can we date this quote by William Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- (transitive, obsolete) To hold before one; to extend.
- 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, VI.11:
- Pastorella […] Was by the Captaine all this while defended, / Who, minding more her safety then himselfe, / His target alwayes over her pretended […].
- 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, VI.11:
Usage notes
This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs
Related terms
Translations
to allege falsely
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to feign
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to lay claim to
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to make oneself appear to do something
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to make-believe
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Further reading
- “pretend”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “pretend”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
Adjective
pretend (not comparable)
- Not really what it is represented as being; imaginary, feigned.
- As children we used to go on "spying" missions around the neighbour's house, but it was all pretend.
Translations
imaginary
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Categories:
- English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
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- Rhymes:English/ɛnd
- English lemmas
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- Requests for date/John Milton
- Requests for date/Dryden
- English transitive verbs
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