Synonyms and antonyms of To pretend to do or feel something in British Thesaurus

pretend (verb)

to behave in a particular way because you want someone to believe that something is true when it is not

fake (verb)

to pretend that something has happened when it has not

simulate (verb)

to pretend to feel or think something

assume (verb)

to pretend to have a particular feeling or attitude

make believe ()

to pretend that something is real, especially in a game

put on ()

to pretend to have a particular feeling or a particular way of speaking or behaving

affect (verb)

formal to behave as if you feel something that you do not or as if you are a type of person that you are not

play along ()

to pretend to agree with someone or something, especially in order to get what you want or avoid an argument

keep up ()

to continue to pretend that something is true

feign (verb)

formal to pretend to have a particular feeling

act out ()

to show the events that happened in a situation by doing them again or by doing the same things as the people involved

fake (verb)

to pretend to have a feeling that you do not have

keep up appearances ()

to pretend that everything is good, for example with your marriage or your financial situation, even though you are having problems

make as if to do something ()

to make a movement so that you seem to be going to do something

make a virtue of necessity ()

to pretend that you are doing something because you have chosen to do it and because it will bring you benefits, when in fact it is something that you must do

make-believe (noun)

the activity of pretending that something is real or that a situation is better than it really is

make like ()

to pretend to be something you are not

make out (informal)

informal to pretend that something is true

malinger (verb)

to avoid work by pretending to be ill

play/be devil’s advocate ()

to pretend to disagree with someone in order to start an argument or interesting discussion

play out ()

if you play out a situation, you pretend that it is really happening

play possum ()

to pretend to be dead or sleeping in order to trick someone

play the innocent ()

to pretend that you do not understand or know anything about something

pretend (verb)

to imagine that something is true when you are playing a game

pretend (verb)

to claim that something is true when it is not

purport (verb)

formal to claim or seem to be something or to do something, especially when this is not possible or true

set yourself up as something ()

to claim to be something that you are not

sham (verb)

to try to trick people by pretending something, for example that you are ill

tease (verb)

to make someone think that you are willing to have sex with them when you are not

toady (verb)

showing disapproval to pretend to like a rich or important person in order to get some advantage from them

toy with ()

to pretend that you like or love someone when really you do not