as if
conjunction
1
: as it would be if
It was as if he had lost his last friend.
2
: as one would do if
He ran as if ghosts were chasing him.
3
: that
It seemed as if the day would never end.
4
—used to say that something is not true, not possible, will not happen, etc.
"I am sure I am very affectionate," said Dora; "you oughtn't to be cruel to me, Doady!" "Cruel, my precious love! As if I would—or could—be cruel to you, for the world!"—
Charles Dickens
—sometimes used informally as an interjection to say that something suggested or claimed is impossible, incorrect, or ridiculously unlikely to be trueCharles DickensA simple collection of songs? As if. How about a conceptual ode to London's millennia-old history?—Craig McLean
Craig McLeanBig budgets? High-priced actresses? As if! The film cost a modest $13 million, a figure achieved by not casting stars, but rather stars-in-the-making …—Nicholas Fonseca
Nicholas FonsecaExamples of as if in a Sentence
she looked as if she wanted to ask one more question before we left
Recent Examples on the Web
Just as the person leaned down as if to jump from the parapet, a man's arms reached for her and brought her to safety.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 29 Dec. 2025
Is the stock behaving as if investors agree?
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 29 Dec. 2025
At first glance, Glass Mountain looks out of place—an irregular, pale, 15-foot mound glinting in the sunlight, as if someone dumped a pile of shiny shards in the middle of the desert.
—Taryn Shorr-McKee, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2025
Now, press your lower back gently into the floor and brace your core as if preparing for a punch to the stomach.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for as if
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Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 29 Dec. 2025
Is the stock behaving as if investors agree?
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 29 Dec. 2025
At first glance, Glass Mountain looks out of place—an irregular, pale, 15-foot mound glinting in the sunlight, as if someone dumped a pile of shiny shards in the middle of the desert.
—Taryn Shorr-McKee, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2025
Now, press your lower back gently into the floor and brace your core as if preparing for a punch to the stomach.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for as if
Cite this Entry
“As if.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/as%20if. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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