Feign

/feɪn/ · verb

Meaning

To make a false show or pretence of; to counterfeit or simulate..

Definitions by Sense

1. To make a false show or pretence of; to counterfeit or simulate.
2. To imagine; to invent; to pretend to do something.
3. To make an action as if doing one thing, but actually doing another, for example to trick an opponent; to feint.

Example Sentences

The pupil feigned sickness on the day of his exam.

They feigned her signature on the cheque.

[T]he truest poetry is the most feigning, and lovers are given to poetry, and what they swear in poetry may be said as lovers they do feign.

She had not been much of a dissembler, until now her loneliness taught her to feign.

He feigned that he had gone home at the appointed time.

Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

Cahill was beaten far too easily for Miller's goal, although the striker deserves the credit for the way he controlled Alan Hutton's right-wing delivery, with his back to goal, feigned to his left then went the other way and pinged a splendid left-foot shot into Hart's bottom right-hand corner.

Synonyms for feign

Antonyms for feign

Related Words

Word Forms

• feigns
• feigning
• feigned

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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