feign

/feɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /feɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfān/ (ame, mw)

feign — verb

  • feignpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • feignshe / she / it
  • feignedpast simple
  • feigning-ing form

1. to deliberately show a feeling, illness, or attitude that you do not really have

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to deliberately show a feeling, illness, or attitude that you do not really have, usually to mislead someone or escape a situation

例句

Mei <hw>feigned</hw> surprise when her friends brought out the cake.

feign + emotion noun

Ife <hw>feigned</hw> ignorance when the teacher asked about the missing keys.

feign + ignorance

同義詞
  • pretend

    everyday choice; works in speech and allows wider grammar such as that-clauses

  • fake

    more informal and direct; often used for actions, smiles, or injuries

  • simulate

    more technical; often used of symptoms, tests, or copied processes

  • affect

    literary and often negative; suggests putting on a manner to impress others

反義詞
  • admit

    used when someone states the real feeling or situation openly

  • reveal

    emphasises showing the truth instead of hiding it

文法句型

feign + noun (emotion/state)

feign + illness/state to avoid something

用法筆記

Usually takes a direct object naming an emotion, illness, or mental state: feign surprise, feign ignorance, feign illness. In modern English it is mostly formal and more common in writing than in everyday speech.

常見錯誤

❌He feigned that he was sick.
✅He feigned illness.' or 'He pretended that he was sick.
💡feign rarely takes a that-clause; it usually takes a noun object.
❌She feigned opening the letter.
✅She pretended to open the letter.
💡feign is mainly used for feelings, conditions, and attitudes, not ordinary physical actions.