feign
Third Person
feigns
Present Participle
feigning
Past Tense
feigned
Past Participle
feigned
1
to pretend, often with the intent to deceive or mislead others
transitive
- She feigned illness to get out of attending the party.
- The suspect feigned innocence when questioned by the police.
- He feigned surprise when he received the unexpected gift, even though he knew about it beforehand.
- The actress feigned happiness during the interview, hiding her true emotions.
- Be cautious of those who feign friendship but have ulterior motives.
2
to pretend or give a false appearance
- The actor feigned convincingly, making everyone believe his character was genuine.
- She feigned in front of her friends, acting like she wasn’t bothered.
- He feigned, but his smile couldn’t hide his true feelings.
- She feigned for a while, but eventually the truth came out.
- He feigned to avoid the confrontation, though his anxiety was clear.