1
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
the feigned applause that polite people give after a bad concert
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fake
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
the feigned looks of innocence I got when I asked who had broken the lamp
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pretended
to present a false appearance of
I would never feign illness just to get out of a test
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of feigned
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2025
Contrary to Camp Cuomo’s feigned ignorance, the absence of criminal charges in no way suggests that Cuomo is innocent.
—Erica Vladimer, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2025
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Time and again, when presented with the misdeeds of his friends, allies, subordinates, and appointees, Adams has feigned, at most, mild surprise.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feigned
Adjective
The White Lotus as a whole is generally on the side of honesty over feigned politeness, but Laurie is going so nuclear, so quickly, that perhaps this will turn out to be an exception.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2025
Contrary to Camp Cuomo’s feigned ignorance, the absence of criminal charges in no way suggests that Cuomo is innocent.
—Erica Vladimer, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
That lack of confidence is charming and funny; when the experts on With Love, Meghan mess up, their humility feels feigned and unnatural, but Martin’s embarrassment only motivates everyone to help him out.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Time and again, when presented with the misdeeds of his friends, allies, subordinates, and appointees, Adams has feigned, at most, mild surprise.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feigned
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feigned
Adjective
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Whose idea was this, and what kinds of settler-colonial relations does this mock holdup invert?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
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Sweater My grandmother also purchased this 100 percent cashmere mock-neck sweater to have on hand in case the weather requires an extra layer.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Colbert made several jokes about needing a job and even brought a fake resume with a youthful headshot of himself.—
Rosa Escandon,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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The Nepalese government, citing concerns over fake accounts, hate speech, disinformation and fraud, said the measures were to ensure accountability and make operators responsible for content on their platforms.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There was that episode of The Nanny where Fran pretended to be Bobbi Flekman.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
10 Sep. 2025
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California Schemin’ is based on the true story of two Scottish friends, Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, who pretended to be a California rap duo, Silibil N’ Brains, to realize their dream of hip-hop stardom.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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One of the main challenges facing the economy is the strained relationship between Beijing and Washington as disputes over technology and geopolitics mount.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
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Photothek via Getty Images Against the backdrop of a strained labour market, many workers feel obliged to overperform.—
Alliance Manchester Business School,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The addition of the Warlock-like floaty jump (sorry, there are just a lot of Destiny things) is very good, as is the base level double jump all characters have.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The patterns will suit any stripe preference, from the wider Pembroke in pine green and sandstone to the mini- and double-stripe options.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In compliance with the restraining order, eight seconds of footage featuring the tape were edited out of the film, and Centro Asturiano management was assured that the producers assumed full liability, per the Tampa Bay Times.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
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The fire is assumed to have been triggered by a lightning strike.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The false assurance was more than a slip.—
Eric Tucker,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
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Robinson, the founder of the now-defunct anti-immigration English Defence League (EDL), was released from prison earlier this year, having been jailed for being in contempt of court by repeating false accusations about a Syrian refugee.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The pop of color offers a shimmer-free (rare!) means of warming up a wedding look and works equally well at lip level.—
Calin Van Paris,
Vogue,
12 Aug. 2025
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By After Testing Over 30 Best Sellers By Siena Gagliano Unlike balms, which can make lip color slide around, a primer locks it in while keeping lips soft and comfortable.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
2 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Feigned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feigned. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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