# pretend

/pɹiˈtɛnd/ (US) · /pɹɪtˈɛnd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pretend
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to act as if

verb · CEFR B1

to behave as if something is true when you know it is not.

For teachers: to simulate a state, quality, or identity, either for deception or as part of a game.

- The children liked to pretend they were explorers in a deep jungle.
- She had to pretend to be interested in his long stories about stamp collecting just to remain polite during the dinner party.

Usage: Commonly followed by a 'to' infinitive or a 'that' clause.

### 2. to claim a skill or status

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to claim that you have a certain skill, title, or right.

For teachers: to lay claim to a particular status, right, or ability; often used in the negative to suggest modesty or honesty.

- I do not pretend to be an expert on this difficult subject.
- He did not pretend to any great legal knowledge, yet his instinctive sense of justice often led him to the correct conclusion.

Usage: Often takes the preposition 'to' when followed by a noun phrase.

### 3. imaginary or fake

adjective · CEFR B1

not real; used in games or to describe something that is a copy.

For teachers: imaginary or feigned; used attributively to describe objects or situations in play.

- The little boy served his mother some pretend tea in a plastic cup.
- The training exercise involved a pretend emergency to test how quickly the hospital staff could evacuate the building.

### 4. imaginative play

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

the act of playing and imagining things.

For teachers: the activity of engaging in imaginative or make-believe play.

- The sisters spent the whole afternoon lost in a world of pretend.
- Psychologists suggest that engaging in games of pretend is a vital stage in a child's cognitive and social development.

## Examples

- The children like to pretend they are brave explorers.
- She tried to pretend that she hadn't seen him in the crowd to avoid an awkward conversation.
- While many actors pretend to inhabit their characters' lives entirely, the most seasoned professionals maintain a clear boundary between their stage persona and their private reality.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.