pretends
Acts a part
Pretends is the act of behaving as if something is true when it isn't.
A child pretends to be a superhero.
An adult pretends to be fine when they're not: She pretends everything is okay.
To pretend can mean to claim falsely (He pretends to have connections he doesn't) or to engage in imaginative play (The kids are pretending to be pirates).
Someone who pretends to a throne claims it, usually without clear right.
Imaginative play or fantasy
- role-playAssume a character temporarily
- play-actPerform pretend scenarios
- fantasizeIndulge in wishful thinking
- imagineForm mental pictures
dress-up · games · childhood · playful · innocence · fairy-tale · storytelling · dolls
Fraudulent imitations
- feignsPretends to feel
- dissemblesDisguises real feelings
- bluffsMisleads about one's position
- misleadsCauses false belief
deceives · hoodwinks · cons · tricks · manipulates · bamboozles · dupes · beguiles
Deeds or play sections
- portraysPerforms as another
- impersonatesAssumes another's persona
- role-playsPerforms imagined scenarios
- enactsMakes officially binding
characterizes · dramatizes · performs · embodies · rehearses · auditions · stage · theater
Copies another's behavior
- copiesMakes identical versions
- emulatesCopies as model
- apesTailless primates
- parrotsRepeats without comprehension
mirrors · echoes · mocks · imitates · caricatures · lampoons · parodies · satirizes
Conceals or animal skins
- masksFace-covering disguises
- disguisesConcealing altered appearances
- cloaksLoose outer wraps
- veilsTranslucent face coverings
camouflages · covers · suppresses · buries · shields · fronts · facades · smokescreens
Creates falsely or manufactures
- inventsCreates something novel
- concoctsInvents by combining elements
- liesDeliberate untruths
- fibsPetty falsehoods
exaggerates · embellishes · distorts · misrepresents · falsifies · spins · stretches · whoppers
make-believe
Imaginative play or fantasy
- role-playAssume a character temporarily
- play-actPerform pretend scenarios
- fantasizeIndulge in wishful thinking
imagine · dress-up · games · childhood · playful · innocence · fairy-tale · storytelling · dolls · superheroes
fakes
Fraudulent imitations
- feignsPretends to feel
- dissemblesDisguises real feelings
- bluffsMisleads about one's position
misleads · deceives · hoodwinks · cons · tricks · manipulates · bamboozles · dupes · beguiles · deludes
acts
Deeds or play sections
- portraysPerforms as another
- impersonatesAssumes another's persona
- role-playsPerforms imagined scenarios
enacts · characterizes · dramatizes · performs · embodies · rehearses · auditions · stage · theater · thespian
mimics
Copies another's behavior
parrots · mirrors · echoes · mocks · imitates · caricatures · lampoons · parodies · satirizes · spoofs
hides
Conceals or animal skins
veils · camouflages · covers · suppresses · buries · shields · fronts · facades · smokescreens
fabricates
Creates falsely or manufactures
fibs · exaggerates · embellishes · distorts · misrepresents · falsifies · spins · stretches · whoppers
- let's pretend
- false pretensesDeceptive claims for gain
- pretend not to see
- pretend playImaginative childhood roleplay
- The PretenderFalse claimant to throne
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