make believe with the intent to deceive; "He feigned that he was ill"; "He shammed a headache"
Used in a Sentence
feign
How to use feign in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for feign.
Editorial note
It's a little weird to feign surprise over that.
Examples13
Definitions2
Parts of speech1
Quick take
make believe with the intent to deceive; "He feigned that he was ill"; "He shammed a headache"
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of feign gathered in one view.
make a pretence of; "She assumed indifference, even though she was seething with anger"; "he feigned sleep"
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for feign.
verb
make believe with the intent to deceive; "He feigned that he was ill"; "He shammed a headache"
verb
make a pretence of; "She assumed indifference, even though she was seething with anger"; "he feigned sleep"
Example sentences
It's a little weird to feign surprise over that.
What a silly thing to feign being outraged about.
They both need each other to exist, and yet feign like they can't stand each other at the same time.
And I have never, ever tried to feign sugar coated lies about anything else.
If you don't know the exact identities involved, you can feign ignorance and probably get away with it.
It's a good maneuver to feign interest and enthusiasm, and to make superiors remember your name.
Don't be pompous, don't feign ignorance, or try to blame others, just spit it out, and have whatever you need to tell them written or typed out on a piece of paper.
I wouldn't feign solidarity; if coordination occurred ahead of time, I'd indicate that I didn't plan to skip the exam.
To feign complete outrage over being spied upon yet happily tarnish relations with a sovereign nation to catch the whistleblower.
They empower ruthless sociopaths with billions of dollars and feign outrage when these despots hold their people hostage and slaughter thousands to maintain their hold on power.
If he truly thought the deal sucked, there are a lot of politically correct ways to feign corporate enthusiasm without saying "I was a strong proponent at the board level for the deal being done.
And it drives me nuts when people put me into positions where my only option is to feign enthusiasm, or to say something negative:Rude Person: "isn't Yanni just the most brilliant musician ever?
Therefore, when capable, feign incapacity; when active, inactivity.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use feign in a sentence?
It's a little weird to feign surprise over that.
What does feign mean?
make believe with the intent to deceive; "He feigned that he was ill"; "He shammed a headache"
What part of speech is feign?
feign is commonly used as verb.