ENGLISH
REFERENCE

pretending

v. · n.
US //pɹiˈtɛndɪŋ// UK //pɹɪtˈɛndɪŋ// pre·tend·ing
  1. 1 acting as if (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    acting like something is true when you know it is not.

    the present participle of 'pretend', describing the action of feigning a state, quality, or identity.

    Example

    He was just pretending to be asleep so he didn't have to talk.

    Example

    By pretending that the budget cuts were merely temporary, the administration managed to avoid a full-scale strike during the election cycle.

    Usage

    often followed by 'to be' or a 'that' clause.
  2. 2 make-believe (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the act of imagining or playing a part.

    the act of engaging in make-believe or imaginative play. Often uncountable in this sense.

    Example

    The children spent the whole afternoon lost in a world of pretending.

    Example

    The psychologist noted that the child's elaborate pretending served as a sophisticated coping mechanism for dealing with social anxiety.

    Usage

    frequently used as the subject or object of a sentence to describe a state of mind.

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