feign

/fein/
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Thân thiện
feign

She feigned surprise when her friends threw her a party.

Definition
  1. Verb:
    • To pretend to have or be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury): To give a false appearance of something, often to deceive others or avoid a situation.
    • To invent or fabricate (a story or excuse): To create a false story or reason.
Usage
  • Core Meaning: The verb "feign" is used to describe the deliberate act of pretending or faking. It implies an intent to deceive or mislead. It is a more formal synonym for "pretend" or "fake."
  • Grammar: It is a transitive verb, so it is typically followed by a direct object (e.g., feign illness, feign interest). It can also be followed by a -clause (e.g., He feigned that he was lost).
Examples
  • Verb:
    • The child feigned illness to avoid going to school.
    • She couldn't show her disappointment, so she feigned enthusiasm for the plan.
    • He feigned ignorance when asked about the missing report.
    • The animal feigns death when threatened by a predator.
Advanced Usage
  • "Feign indifference": To pretend not to care about something.
    • Despite his strong feelings, he feigned indifference to her remarks.
  • "Feign sleep": To pretend to be asleep.
    • I heard them come in, but I just feigned sleep.
Variants and Related Words
  • Feigned (adj): Pretended; not genuine.
    • She answered with feigned politeness.
  • Feigning (n): The action of pretending.
    • His apology was an obvious piece of feigning.
Synonyms
  • Pretend: To behave as if something is true when it is not.
  • Simulate: To imitate the appearance or character of something.
  • Sham: To falsely present something (often used as a noun or adjective: a sham, a sham marriage).
  • Fake: To make something seem real in order to deceive.
Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Feign" is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meaning is contained within the single verb.)

Related Idioms
  • "Feign innocence": To pretend to know nothing about a situation, often one involving wrongdoing.
    • When confronted with the evidence, he continued to feign innocence.
feign

She feigned surprise when her friends threw her a party.

Verb
  1. make a pretence of
    • She assumed indifference, even though she was seething with anger
    • he feigned sleep
  2. make believe with the intent to deceive
    • He feigned that he was ill
    • He shammed a headache

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