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    Dendril Roots
      pretend
      noun
      (childish, informal) The act of engaging in pretend play.
      verb
      (intransitive or with 'that' clause or 'to' infinitive) To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.
      To engage in make-believe.
      (transitive) To feign, affect (a state, quality, etc.).
      (intransitive with 'to', formal, originally transitive) To lay claim (to an ability, status, advantage, etc.).
      (transitive, obsolete) To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden.
      (transitive, obsolete) To intend; to design, to plot; to attempt.
      (transitive, obsolete) To hold before one; to extend.
      adjective
      Not really what it is represented as being; imaginary, feigned.
      Roots
      praepre- · Latin · before, in fronttendo-tend · Latin · stretch
      Synonyms for pretend
      feignvdissemblevprofessvshamnsimulatevdissimulatevassumevpresumevplayactvactnpurportv
      Words related to pretend
      pretensenimaginingvfakingvattitudinizevsupposedadjguessvfakedvimpersonatevsupposesvmasqueradingvfakeryndaydreamsnmalingervdissimulatornphoninessnphonyadjsimulativeadjsuppositiousadjfakesnimaginaryadjmakevpresupposevpseudoadjfantasizevdovfauxadjsimulacrumnfictitiousadjcharaden

      Synonyms & related words for pretend

      Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of pretend — including feign, dissemble, profess, sham, simulate, dissimulate. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

      Words related to pretend

      Explore words related to pretend — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include pretense, imagining, faking, attitudinize, supposed, guess, faked, impersonate. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

      Synonyms for pretend

      Common synonyms for pretend include feign, dissemble, profess, sham, simulate, dissimulate, assume, presume — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

      Where does pretend come from?

      The word pretend breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: pre-, from Latin prae (“before, in front”); and -tend, from Latin tendo (“stretch”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.

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