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# pretending

verb (present participle of pretend: pretend, pretends, pretended, pretending); noun (pretending, uncountable)

«pretending» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Pretending means acting as if something is true when it is not, often in a game: pretending to be a dragon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pretending/#m1)
2. Pretending can also mean trying to trick people by acting falsely: pretending to be ill. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pretending/#m2)

### In the lessons

In play and stories, pretending is imagination: pretend play, make-believe, role play in drama lessons. In safety lessons, some people online pretend to be someone else (for example, a child), so never share personal details. In feelings lessons: pretending to be fine when you are not; it is OK to tell a trusted adult. Phrases: pretending to, pretending that, stop pretending.

### Examples

- We are pretending to be pirates. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pretending/#x1)
- He was pretending to be asleep. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pretending/#x2)
- She is pretending that the box is a car. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pretending/#x3)
- Stop pretending you did not see me! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pretending/#x4)
- The cat is pretending not to care. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pretending/#x5)
- People online may be pretending to be kids. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pretending/#x6)
- I was pretending to be brave, but I was scared. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pretending/#x7)
- Pretending games help you use your imagination. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pretending/#x8)
- “He-he-he!” exclaimed Iktomi, pretending disappointment that his friend had fallen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pretending/#x9)

### Note

After pretend: «pretending to be», «pretending that…». False friend: in some languages a similar word means «to claim» or «to aim for», but in English pretend means to act as if. Pretending in a game is fine; pretending to trick or hurt someone is lying.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «pretending» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pretending/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«pretending» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/pretending.html) on Mova free.