English · Word Candidate

pretend

/pɹəˈtɛnd/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: pretends · pretending · pretended

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Nói hoặc hành động để tạo ra vẻ ngoài giả hoặc mô phỏng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

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

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance. — To engage in make-believe.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Tham gia vào trò chơi giả vờ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

She moved her fingers across the desk, pretending to play the piano.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Not really what it is represented as being; imaginary, feigned.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Không phải là gì nó được đại diện; tưởng tượng, giả vờ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

As children we used to go on "spying" missions around the neighbour's house, but it was all pretend.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The act of engaging in pretend play.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Hành động tham gia vào trò chơi giả vờ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

NounRegister: informal

Examples

We used to dress up in our grandparents' old clothes and play pretend.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “pretend” mean?

To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.

Is “pretend” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.