feign

CEFRC2

/feɪn/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To pretend to have a feeling, condition, or ability.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To imagine; to invent; to pretend to do something.

Examples

  • It is difficult for those who are sad to feign joy.

  • Especially do not feign affection.

At a glance

Sits at C2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
3
Synonyms
3

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To make an action as if doing one thing, but actually doing another, for example to trick an opponent; to feint.

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

More examples

In context

  • It's futile to feign illness.

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

  • The pupil feigned sickness on the day of his exam.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The tired actor had to blank enthusiasm for the boring rehearsal.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English feynen, feinen, borrowed from Old French feindre (“to pretend”), from Latin fingere (“to form, shape, invent”). Compare French feignant (present participle of feindre, literally “feigning”). Also compare feint, figment and fiction.