to cause or attempt to cause (what is not so) to seem so

to pretend illness; to pretend that nothing is wrong.

to appear falsely, as to deceive; feign

to pretend to go to sleep.

to make believe

The children pretended to be cowboys.

to presume; venture

I can't pretend to say what went wrong.

to allege or profess, esp. insincerely or falsely

He pretended to have no knowledge of her whereabouts.

to make believe.

to lay claim to (usually fol. by to )

She pretended to the throne.

to make pretensions (usually fol. by to )

He pretends to great knowledge.

Obsolete . to aspire, as a suitor or candidate (fol. by to ).

Informal . make-believe; simulated; counterfeit

pretend diamonds.

verb

tell truth , be honest

verb

act , affect , allege , assume , be deceitful , beguile , be hypocritical , bluff , cheat , claim , claim falsely , counterfeit , cozen , deceive , delude , dissemble , dissimulate , dupe , fake out , feign , fish * , fool , fudge * , hoodwink * , impersonate , jazz * , jive * , lay claim , let on * , make out * , malinger , masquerade , mislead , pass off * , pass oneself off as , profess , purport , put on * , put up a front , sham * , shuck and jive , simulate , stonewall * , sucker , whitewash *notes:portend means to indicate (events , misfortunes , etc.) as in future or to foreshadow or to bode; pretend means to make believe with the intent to deceive or to give a false appearance of , assume the role , imagine , imitate , make as if , make believe , make out like , make up , mimic , play , playact , portray , pose , put on a front , put on airs , put on an act * , represent , reproduce , supposenotes:portend means to indicate (events , fake , put on , sham , play-act , dare , hazard , venture , acknowledge , beseem , disguise , let on , proclaim

adjective

imitation , manmade , mock , simulated , synthetic