Feign: meaning, definitions and examples

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feign

[ feɪn ]

^{Context #1}

pretend

To feign means to pretend to have a particular feeling, problem, or injury. It is often done in order to deceive or trick others.

Synonyms

counterfeit, fabricate, fake, simulate

Examples of usage

She feigned illness in order to skip school.
He feigned surprise when he saw the birthday party decorations.

^{Context #2}

invent

To feign can also mean to invent a story or excuse, typically in order to deceive someone.

Synonyms

concoct, falsify, invent, make-up

Examples of usage

She feigned a family emergency to get out of the meeting.
He feigned forgetfulness when asked about the missing documents.

Translations

Translations of the word "feign" in other languages:

🇵🇹 fingir

🇮🇳 दिखावा करना

🇩🇪 vortäuschen

🇮🇩 berpura-pura

🇺🇦 удавати

🇵🇱 udawać

🇯🇵 ふりをする

🇫🇷 feindre

🇪🇸 fingir

🇹🇷 numara yapmak

🇰🇷 가장하다

🇸🇦 تظاهر

🇨🇿 předstírat

🇸🇰 predstierať

🇨🇳 假装

🇸🇮 pretvarjati se

🇮🇸 þykjast

🇰🇿 құптау

🇬🇪 თავის მოჩვენება

🇦🇿 yalan danışmaq

🇲🇽 fingir

Word origin

The word 'feign' originated from the Old French word 'feindre', which came from the Latin word 'fingere' meaning 'to shape, fashion, or pretend'. The use of 'feign' in English dates back to the 13th century.