PRETENDING

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does pretending mean? 

• PRETENDING (noun)
  The noun PRETENDING has 1 sense:

1. the act of giving a false appearance

  Familiarity information: PRETENDING used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PRETENDING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of giving a false appearance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

feigning; pretence; pretending; pretense; simulation

Context example:

his conformity was only pretending

Hypernyms ("pretending" is a kind of...):

deceit; deception; dissembling; dissimulation (the act of deceiving)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pretending"):

appearance; show (pretending that something is the case in order to make a good impression)

make-believe; pretend (the enactment of a pretense)

affectation; affectedness; mannerism; pose (a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display)

charade; masquerade (making a false outward show)

Derivation:

pretend (make believe with the intent to deceive)

 Context examples 

It was clear to me, however, that by pretending that he had really succeeded in his design I might surprise a confession.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

And then she would give it up as a bad job, and put the account-book away, after pretending to crush the lion with it.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

“Can it not!” she cried, pretending to be offended.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

They know we are poor, so it's no use pretending that we have grooms, buy three or four hats a season, and have things as easy and fine as they do.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Sometimes he sheered off the subject, or turned the conversation by pretending not to understand; but generally he answered all I asked most frankly.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The truth is, ma'am, said Mrs. Grant, pretending to whisper across the table to Mrs. Norris, that Dr.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Mary, though pretending not to hear, was somewhat disconcerted; and Elizabeth, sorry for her, and sorry for her father's speech, was afraid her anxiety had done no good.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Her eldest daughter had great personal beauty, and the younger ones, by pretending to be as handsome as their sister, imitating her air, and dressing in the same style, did very well.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

During this last voyage I had no commerce with the master or any of his men; but, pretending I was sick, kept close in my cabin.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

There could be no doubt that Beddington had obtained entrance by pretending that he had left something behind him, and having murdered the watchman, rapidly rifled the large safe, and then made off with his booty.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)