feign

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to make believe with the intent to deceive

   They feigned an illness to get out of volunteering.

2. 2
   verb

   To make a false show or pretence of; to counterfeit or simulate.

   The pupil feigned sickness on the day of his exam.

3. 3
   verb

   To imagine; to invent; to pretend to do something.

   He feigned that he had gone home at the appointed time.

4. 4
   verb

   To make an action as if doing one thing, but actually doing another, for example to trick an opponent; to feint.

   Cahill was beaten far too easily for Miller's goal, although the striker deserves the credit for the way he controlled Alan Hutton's right-wing delivery, with his back to goal, feigned to his left then went the other way and pinged a splendid left-foot shot into Hart's bottom right-hand corner.

5. 5
   verb

   make a pretence of

Etymology

From Middle English feynen, feinen, borrowed from Old French feindre (“to pretend”), from Latin fingere (“to form, shape, invent”). Compare French feignant (present participle of feindre, literally “feigning”). Also compare feint and fiction.