feign
gb/fˈeɪn/ us/fˈeɪn/
C1
Anglais
színlel, tettet, kitalál, kohol
VERBE
C1
FORMAL
1
Schéma d’usage :
feign [an emotion/reaction/attitude]
She feigned surprise when the lights came on, even though she already knew about the party.
Meglepetést színlelt, amikor felkapcsolódtak a fények, pedig már előre tudott a partiról.
He feigned interest in the conversation and kept glancing at his phone.
Érdeklődést színlelt a beszélgetés iránt, közben pedig folyton a telefonjára pillantgatott.
The politician feigned concern while avoiding any direct answer.
Exemples pédagogiques
I feigned a smile for the photo.
A fotó kedvéért mosolyt színleltem.
She feigned excitement to be polite.
Udvariasságból lelkesedést színlelt.
Erreur fréquente :
Do not confuse feign (/feɪn/) with faint; and do not confuse it with fain (“gladly”), which is a different word.
Sens
pretend to feel or show
Collocations
feign surprise
|feign interest
|feign concern
|feign innocence
|feign outrage
|feign indifference
|feign politeness
|feign a smile
|feign enthusiasm
|feign calm
Synonymes
pretend (More general and more common than feign.)
|
simulate (Often suggests copying the outward signs closely.)
|
put on (More informal; emphasizes an act or performance.)
|
affect (Formal; often used for deliberately adopting an attitude or manner.)
Antonymes
be genuine (Truly feel or show the emotion.)
|
be sincere (Not pretending; honest in expression.)
Thèmes
communication
|emotions
|social
Définition
To pretend you feel something when you do not.
To deliberately give a false appearance of a feeling, attitude, or reaction.
VERBE
C1
FORMAL
2
színlel
C1
Schéma d’usage :
feign [illness/injury] | feign being [ill/weak/unwell]
He feigned illness to avoid the meeting.
Betegséget színlelt, hogy elkerülje a megbeszélést.
The suspect was accused of feigning an injury after the arrest.
A gyanúsítottat azzal vádolták, hogy az elfogása után sérülést színlelt.
She feigned being unwell so she could leave early.
Exemples pédagogiques
He feigned a cold to stay home.
Megfázást színlelt, hogy otthon maradhasson.
Don’t feign an injury.
Ne színlelj sérülést.
Erreur fréquente :
Feigned illness is deliberate; it is not the same as being hypochondriac (believing you are ill).
Sens
pretend to be ill or hurt
Collocations
feign illness
|feign an injury
|feign sickness
|feign a headache
|feign a limp
|feign being unwell
|feign weakness
Synonymes
fake (More informal and very common.)
|
pretend (General; does not specifically imply a practical motive.)
|
malinger (More technical; specifically avoiding work or duty by pretending to be ill.)
Antonymes
recover (Return to health rather than pretending illness.)
|
be ill (Actually have the illness or injury.)
Thèmes
health
|work
|law
Définition
To pretend you are sick or injured.
To pretend to have an illness, injury, or physical or mental condition, especially in order to avoid work, duty, or responsibility.
VERBE
C1
FORMAL
3
Schéma d’usage :
feign [an excuse/explanation/story]
She feigned an excuse about traffic, but she had simply overslept.
A forgalomra hivatkozó kifogást talált ki, de valójában egyszerűen csak elaludt.
The report suggested he feigned a story to cover up the mistake.
A jelentés szerint egy történetet talált ki, hogy leplezze a hibát.
They feigned ignorance when asked where the money went.
Exemples pédagogiques
He feigned an excuse to leave.
Kitalált egy kifogást, hogy elmehessen.
She feigned a story about losing her keys.
Kitalált egy történetet arról, hogy elvesztette a kulcsait.
Erreur fréquente :
Feigned usually suggests purposeful deception; it is not just ‘imagine’ or ‘create’ in a neutral sense.
Sens
make up a story or excuse
Collocations
feign an excuse
|feign a reason
|feign an explanation
|feign a story
|feign ignorance
|feign misunderstanding
Synonymes
fabricate (Strongly suggests deliberate invention of false details.)
|
make up (Common and neutral/informal compared to feign.)
|
invent (Can be neutral, but in this sense means create falsely.)
Antonymes
tell the truth (Give a truthful account rather than inventing one.)
|
admit (Openly acknowledge instead of offering a false explanation.)
Thèmes
communication
|crime
|school
Définition
To make up a false excuse or story.
To invent or contrive something false, such as an excuse, explanation, or story, to mislead others.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
feign
API
GB/fˈeɪn/
US/fˈeɪn/
Syllabes et accentuation
feign (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (feign)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: feign
- 3rd Person Singular: feigns
- Present Participle: feigning
- Past: feigned
Famille de mots
Forms
feigns
verb
feigning
verb
feigned
verb
Advanced or less common
unfeigned
adjective
Expressions
feign death
1/fˈeɪn dˈɛθ/
fixed phrase
formal
pretend to be dead
To act like you are dead.
Exemples
- In the film, the hero feigns death to fool the guards.
- The animal lay still, feigning death when threatened.
- He tried to feign death, but the medics quickly noticed he was breathing.
feign ignorance
1/fˈeɪn ˈɪɡnɚəns/
fixed phrase
formal
pretend not to know
To pretend you don’t know something.
Exemples
- When confronted with the email, he feigned ignorance.
- They feigned ignorance about the new policy changes.
- She feigned ignorance of the rules, but she had signed the form.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He feigned ignorance about the damage.
feign illness
1/fˈeɪn ˈɪlnəs/
fixed phrase
formal
pretend to be sick
To pretend you are sick.
Exemples
- He feigned illness and skipped the exam.
- The coach accused him of feigning illness to get out of training.
- She was punished for feigning illness at work.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He feigned illness to stay home.
feign interest
1/fˈeɪn ˈɪntɚˌɛst/
fixed phrase
formal
pretend to be interested
To act interested even when you aren’t.
Exemples
- He feigned interest in the presentation to be polite.
- She couldn’t even feign interest in the topic.
- I tried to feign interest, but my mind kept wandering.
Exemples pédagogiques
- She feigned interest in my story.
feign sleep
1/fˈeɪn slˈip/
fixed phrase
formal
pretend to be asleep
To act like you are sleeping.
Exemples
- She feigned sleep so she wouldn’t have to answer questions.
- He feigned sleep and listened as they talked in the hallway.
- The child feigned sleep when his parents came in.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I feigned sleep on the bus.
feign surprise
1/fˈeɪn səpɹˈaɪz/
fixed phrase
formal
pretend to be surprised
To act surprised when you are not.
Exemples
- Try to feign surprise when you open the gift.
- He feigned surprise at the announcement, but he was in on the plan.
- She feigned surprise when the results came in.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I feigned surprise for my friend.