Word a Day
pretend
What does pretend mean?
pretend (verb): to speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use pretend in a sentence?
- You don't have to pretend that the soup tastes fine. (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- You don't have to pretend to like the soup. (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0)
How do you pronounce pretend?
/pɹiˈtɛnd/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does pretend come from?
From Anglo-Norman pretendre, Middle French pretendre (French prétendre (“to claim, demand”)), from Latin praetendere (“to put forward, hold out, pretend”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “pretend”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “pretend” mean?
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
Not quite: that's what acknowledge means.
to uncover; to show and display that which was hidden or unknown
Not quite: that's what reveal means.
to attach or fasten (one thing to another) by string or the like
Not quite: that's what tie means.
to speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance
Right! That's what “pretend” means.
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