pretending
Making believe something
Pretending is acting as if something is true when it isn't.
Children pretend when they play: She's pretending to be a dinosaur.
Adults pretend to hide feelings or deceive: He pretended not to care.
The word can suggest harmless make-believe or deliberate falseness, depending on context.
Pretending to feel something
- fakingSimulating something false
- shamFraudulent imitation
- bluffingDeceiving about one's position
- duplicityDeliberate misleading behavior
deceit · fraud · hoax · subterfuge · imposture · masquerade · facade · guise
Imaginative play or fantasy
- fantasyImaginative mental wandering
- daydreamConscious fantasy while awake
- imaginationFaculty for forming ideas
- role-playAssume a character temporarily
dress-up · tea party · invisible friend · imaginary · play-acting · storytelling · escapism · fairytale
Organized competitive activities
- hide-and-seekConcealment pursuit pastime
- charadesWordless guessing game
- dress-upPlay involving costumes
- cops and robbersChildren's game of chase
house · pirates · superheroes · princesses · cowboys · tea party · dolls · action figures
Pre-performance practice session
- improvisationSpontaneous, unplanned creation
- role-playAssume a character temporarily
- monologueUninterrupted solo address
- dialogueSpoken exchange between parties
performance · stage · scene · character · method acting · audition · script · understudy
Courteous, respectful conduct
- composureEmotional self-control
- smilePleased facial expression
- facadeDeceptive outward appearance
- appearancesOutward visible aspects
brave face · small talk · enthusiasm · interest · indifference · agreement · confidence · calm
feigning
Pretending to feel something
duplicity · deceit · fraud · hoax · subterfuge · imposture · masquerade · facade · guise · dissembling
make-believe
Imaginative play or fantasy
- fantasyImaginative mental wandering
- daydreamConscious fantasy while awake
- imaginationFaculty for forming ideas
role-play · dress-up · tea party · invisible friend · imaginary · play-acting · storytelling · escapism · fairytale · wonder
games
Organized competitive activities
- hide-and-seekConcealment pursuit pastime
- charadesWordless guessing game
- dress-upPlay involving costumes
cops and robbers · house · pirates · superheroes · princesses · cowboys · tea party · dolls · action figures · puppets
rehearsal
Pre-performance practice session
- improvisationSpontaneous, unplanned creation
- role-playAssume a character temporarily
- monologueUninterrupted solo address
dialogue · performance · stage · scene · character · method acting · audition · script · understudy · blocking
politeness
Courteous, respectful conduct
appearances · brave face · small talk · enthusiasm · interest · indifference · agreement · confidence · calm · fine
- kid activitiesplaying, running, jumping, climbing, swinging
- childhood behaviorsgiggling, skipping, tantrums, whining, pouting
- dirty trickscheating, lying, deceit, trickery, deception
- impersonationimpersonator, mimic, imitate, imitation, impressionist
- insincerityinsincerity, phoniness, fakeness, falseness, dissembling
- Social Pretensefacade, affectation, phoniness, insincerity, feigned interest
pretendingrevealing
Making known what's hidden
confessing · admitting · disclosing · telling the truth · being honest