Pretend
verb / adjective
To behave as if something is true when it is not, especially to deceive; to imagine or play make-believe as part of a game; to claim to have knowledge or skill; not real or imaginary, especially used by children.
The little girl set up her dolls around a tiny table in the garden. She pretended to pour tea into each cup and asked her imaginary guests how their day had been. Her mother watched from the window, smiling at the whole scene.
This meaning is about acting as though something is real when you know perfectly well it isn’t — usually to hide the truth from someone. Imagine feeling heartbroken after a breakup but pretending you’re fine whenever your friends ask, smiling and saying everything’s great when it’s clearly not. This is putting on a false act to deceive others or avoid revealing the truth. You might say “he pretended he didn’t hear the question” or “she pretended to be asleep so she wouldn’t have to talk to anyone.” Or picture an employee who pretends to be busy whenever the boss walks past, even though he’s been scrolling his phone all morning. The word suggests a deliberate effort to create a false impression. ✏️ Common patterns are “pretend to be,” “pretend that,” and “pretend not to” — these cover almost every situation where someone fakes something.
Vivid example: He knew the surprise party was happening — his sister had accidentally told him two days earlier. But when everyone jumped out and shouted, he pretended to be completely shocked. His performance was so convincing that nobody suspected a thing.
This meaning is about using your imagination to play, especially as a child. Imagine two kids in the backyard — one pretends to be a pirate and the other pretends to be a dragon, both running around creating a whole adventure out of nothing. This is the fun, creative side of pretending — not lying, just playing. You might hear “let’s pretend we’re astronauts exploring a new planet” or “she spent the whole afternoon pretending her bedroom was a castle.” Or think about a child picking up a stick and pretending it’s a magic wand, waving it at everything in sight. The word here is playful and lighthearted, with no negative feeling at all. ✏️ “Let’s pretend” is the classic phrase children use to start an imaginary game — it’s one of the first expressions kids learn in English.
Vivid example: The two brothers built a fort out of blankets and cushions in the living room. They pretended they were soldiers defending a castle from an approaching army. Their mother brought them snacks and played along, calling herself the royal messenger.
This meaning is about claiming — or more commonly, not claiming — to have a certain ability or expertise. Imagine a writer being interviewed about economics who says “I don’t pretend to understand everything about the stock market, but here’s what I think.” She’s being honest about her limits. This is usually used in negative form to show modesty or honesty. You might read “I don’t pretend to have all the answers” or “she never pretended to be an authority on the subject.” Or think about a manager who admits “I won’t pretend to know what you’re going through” when a colleague faces a personal crisis. The word here is more formal and carries a sense of humble honesty. ✏️ This meaning almost always appears in negative form — “I don’t pretend to…” or “I won’t pretend to…” — it’s a way of being upfront about what you don’t know.
Vivid example: When the journalist asked for his opinion on climate science, the politician paused carefully. He said he didn’t pretend to be a scientist, but he trusted the data from the experts. The honest answer earned him respect from both sides of the debate.
This meaning is about describing something as imaginary or not genuine, especially in the world of children’s play. Imagine a little boy pointing a pretend gun made from his fingers and shouting “bang!” at his dad — the gun isn’t real, it’s just part of the game. This is using pretend as an adjective to label something as make-believe. You might hear “she has a pretend friend who goes everywhere with her” or “the kids had a pretend wedding in the garden with stuffed animals as guests.” Or think about a child sitting in a cardboard box and calling it a pretend spaceship. The word keeps its playful, innocent tone when used this way. ✏️ As an adjective, pretend is very informal and mostly used in children’s contexts — adults would usually say “fake,” “imaginary,” or “make-believe” instead.
Vivid example: Her daughter set up a pretend shop in the hallway using old boxes and hand-drawn price tags. She arranged all her toys on the shelves and waited for customers. Her dad was the first to walk in and buy a teddy bear for three invisible coins.
Examples from the street:
“Just pretend you didn’t hear that.” → Act as if you didn’t hear what was just said — ignore it completely
“He’s not really asleep — he’s pretending.” → He’s not actually sleeping — he’s faking it to avoid doing something or talking to someone
“I’m tired of pretending everything’s fine when it isn’t.” → I’ve had enough of acting as though things are okay when they clearly aren’t
Pretend as acting as if something is true when it isn’t — VERY COMMON:
– pretend (that)… → act as if something is true when it isn’t
– pretend to (do something) → fake doing an action
– pretend to be (something/someone) → act as if you are a different person or thing
– just pretend… → instruction to act as if something is the case, often to make things easier
– stop/quit pretending → stop faking and be honest
– pretend nothing happened → behave as if an event didn’t take place
– pretend not to (see/hear/notice/care) → deliberately act as if you didn’t see, hear, notice, or care about something
Pretend with emotions and feelings:
– pretend to be happy/interested/surprised → fake an emotion you don’t actually feel
– pretend everything’s fine/okay/normal → act as if there’s no problem when there clearly is
– pretend you don’t care → hide the fact that something bothers you
– pretend it doesn’t matter → act as if something isn’t important when it actually is
Pretend in children’s play and imagination:
– pretend to be (a pirate/doctor/superhero) → play a role in imaginative games
– pretend play → imaginative play where children act out roles and scenarios
– let’s pretend… → a phrase children use to start an imaginary game
– a game of pretend → an imaginative game based on acting out roles
Pretend as an adjective (informal):
– pretend money/food/gun → not real — a toy or imitation used in play
– a pretend fight/argument → a fake conflict that isn’t serious
Example Sentences
1. She pretended to be surprised when they threw her a birthday party, but she’d known about it for weeks
→ She acted as though she had no idea about the celebration they’d organised for her, even though she’d been aware of it for a long time.
2. I’m not going to pretend that I understand quantum physics — it completely baffles me
→ I’m not going to act as if I have any grasp of that area of advanced science — I find it thoroughly confusing.
3. He pretended not to hear when his name was called, because he didn’t want to get involved
→ He deliberately acted as though he hadn’t noticed someone calling out to him, because he wanted to avoid being dragged into the situation.
4. Just pretend I’m not here and carry on with what you were doing
→ Simply act as if I’m not present and continue doing whatever you were occupied with before.
5. The children spent all afternoon pretending to be pirates, running around the garden with wooden swords
→ The youngsters passed the whole afternoon acting out the roles of sea adventurers, charging around the outdoor space waving sticks.
6. Stop pretending you don’t care — I can see it’s upsetting you
→ Quit acting as though it doesn’t affect you — it’s obvious that it’s making you unhappy.
7. We can’t just pretend nothing happened and go back to the way things were
→ We can’t simply behave as if the event never took place and return to how everything used to be.
8. She smiled and pretended everything was fine, but inside she was falling apart
→ She put on a smile and acted as though nothing was wrong, but underneath the surface she was struggling badly.
9. He pretended to read his newspaper while secretly listening to their conversation
→ He held his paper up and acted as if he was looking at the articles while quietly paying attention to what the other people were saying.
10. My daughter handed me a cup of pretend tea and told me to drink it — so I did
→ My little girl gave me a toy cup with imaginary liquid in it and instructed me to take a sip — so I played along.
Learner Examples
1. If you don’t understand something in a conversation, don’t pretend you do — ask the other person to repeat it or explain differently
→ If something in a discussion goes over your head, don’t act as though you followed it — request that the speaker say it again or put it another way.
2. In role-play activities, even shy students come alive when they pretend to be someone else — it takes the pressure off being themselves
→ During acted-out classroom exercises, even reserved learners become energetic when they take on the role of a different person — it removes the stress of performing as themselves.
✔ Native usage tips
– Pretend is one of the most common verbs in everyday English — people use it constantly in all types of conversation. “Pretend you didn’t see that,” “stop pretending,” “I’m not going to pretend…” — these are phrases you’ll hear every single day. It’s essential vocabulary
– Pretend to be vs pretend to do — both are very common but mean different things — “pretend to be happy” means fake an emotion; “pretend to listen” means fake an action. Learners sometimes drop the “to be” or “to do” part, but both are necessary for the sentence to sound natural
– Pretend as an adjective is mainly used by or about children — “pretend money,” “a pretend sword,” “a pretend friend” are things children say or things adults say when talking about children’s games. An adult describing something fake would say “fake” or “imaginary” rather than “pretend”
– Let’s pretend is childhood magic — “let’s pretend we’re astronauts” or “let’s pretend the floor is lava” are classic phrases from English-speaking childhoods. When adults say “let’s pretend” it often carries a playful, slightly nostalgic tone
– Pretend vs lie — pretending is about behaviour and acting; lying is about words and statements. You pretend to be happy (your behaviour is fake); you lie about being happy (your words are false). “He pretended to be a doctor” means he acted the role; “he lied about being a doctor” means he told people he was one
– I’m not going to pretend is a powerful honesty phrase — saying “I’m not going to pretend I liked it” or “I’m not going to pretend this is easy” signals directness and transparency. Native speakers use it to introduce honest, sometimes uncomfortable truths. It’s a great phrase to learn
– Pretend not to is extremely natural — “she pretended not to notice,” “he pretended not to care,” “they pretended not to see us.” This structure is everywhere in spoken English and describes the very human habit of deliberately ignoring things to avoid awkwardness
✔ Similar expressions / words
– Fake → more informal and blunt than pretend; “fake a smile” and “pretend to smile” mean the same thing, but fake sounds more dismissive and casual; “she’s faking it” is more accusatory than “she’s pretending”
– Act → overlaps heavily with pretend but can be positive or neutral; “she acted surprised” could mean she’s a good performer, while “she pretended to be surprised” always implies deception; act is more versatile and less inherently negative
– Feign → the formal, literary equivalent of pretend; “feign ignorance” and “pretend not to know” mean exactly the same thing, but feign sounds elegant and bookish; you’ll see it in novels and journalism far more than in everyday speech