pretend

A2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /pɹəˈtɛnd/ See IPA manual

Freq #1592

Meanings

1

verb
To act as if something is true when it is not.

You don't have to pretend that the soup tastes good.
2

adj
Not real; imaginary or only acted out, especially in children's play.

The children built a pretend castle out of cardboard.
3

noun
The act of imagining or pretending.

Don't worry, the monster isn't real; it's just pretend.
4

verb
To claim a right to something such as a title or position.

The exiled prince still pretended to the throne.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · not real; imaginary or only... mimic

3 noun · the act of imagining or... make-believe

Word family

Forms pretendedpretendingpretends

Derived forms outpretendpretendedpretendedlypretendianpretendinglypretendingnesspretendolinounpretendedunpretending

Related forms pretender pretense pretension pretentious pretentiousness

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per- Proto-Indo-European *preh₂-der. Proto-Italic *prai Proto-Italic *prai- Latin prae- Proto-Indo-European *ten- Proto-Indo-European *tend-der. Proto-Italic *tendō Latin tendō Latin praetendōbor. Anglo-Norman pretendreder. English pretend From Anglo-Norman pretendre, Middle French pretendre (French prétendre (“to claim, demand”)), from Latin praetendere (“to put forward, hold out, pretend”), from prae- (“pre-”) + tendō (“stretch”); see tend.

*tend- Proto-Indo-European pretendre Middle French praetendo Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Space, Position & Direction Describing Qualities

External links

# pretend

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb, adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /pɹəˈtɛnd/
**Frequency rank:** 1592

## Meanings
1. To act as if something is true when it is not.
2. Not real; imaginary or only acted out, especially in children's play.
3. The act of imagining or pretending.
4. To claim a right to something such as a title or position.

## Examples
- You don't have to pretend that the soup tastes good.
- The children built a pretend castle out of cardboard.
- Don't worry, the monster isn't real; it's just pretend.
- The exiled prince still pretended to the throne.

## Derived Forms
- outpretend
- pretended
- pretendedly
- pretendian
- pretendingly
- pretendingness
- pretendolino
- unpretended
- unpretending

## Related Forms
- pretender
- pretense
- pretension
- pretentious
- pretentiousness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *tend-
- Root: pretendre
- Root: praetendo

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per- Proto-Indo-European *preh₂-der. Proto-Italic *prai Proto-Italic *prai- Latin prae- Proto-Indo-European *ten- Proto-Indo-European *tend-der. Proto-Italic *tendō Latin tendō Latin praetendōbor. Anglo-Norman pretendreder. English pretend From Anglo-Norman pretendre, Middle French pretendre (French prétendre (“to claim, demand”)), from Latin praetendere (“to put forward, hold out, pretend”), from prae- (“pre-”) + tendō (“stretch”); see tend.

## AI Etymology
Pretend comes from Anglo-Norman pretendre, Middle French pretendre (French prétendre (“to claim, demand”)), from Latin praetendere (“to put forward, hold out, pretend”), from prae- (“pre-”) + tendō (“stretch”); see tend. The historical chain includes *tend- (Proto-Indo-European), pretendre (xno), pretendre (Middle French), praetendo (Latin). In present-day English it covers to act as if something is true when it is not, not real; imaginary or only acted out, especially in children's play, and the act of imagining or pretending. The wider family includes derived forms such as outpretend, pretended, pretendedly, pretendian, pretendingly and related forms such as pretender, pretense, pretension, pretentious.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction
- Describing Qualities

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pretend

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