feigned
/feɪn/ (bre, ipa) · [fˈend] /feɪn/ (ame, ipa) · [fˈend] /ˈfānd/ (ame, mw)
feigned — verb
- feignedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- feigneds3rd person singular
- feigneding-ing form
- feignededpast simple
1. to make yourself seem to show a particular feeling, illness, or reaction that is
to make yourself seem to show a particular feeling, illness, or reaction that is not real, usually to avoid something or get an advantage
Theo feigned surprise when his friends entered the room for the surprise party.
feigned + emotion noun (surprise)
The witness feigned a memory loss to avoid answering the prosecutor's questions.
Aisha feigned a headache to leave the boring meeting early.
Mei-Lin feigned interest in the lecture while secretly planning her weekend trip.
The prisoner feigned a fever and was taken to the medical wing, where he escaped.
- be genuine
to show true feelings without pretending
文法句型
feign + noun phrase
be feigned + noun phrase (passive)
用法筆記
The base form is feign. Feigned is the past tense and past participle, used both in simple past and passive constructions (e.g., The illness was feigned). This is a formal verb; in everyday conversation, pretend or fake are more common.
常見錯誤
feigned — adjective
- feignedpositive
- feignedercomparative
- feignedestsuperlative
1. not real or sincere; put on for show rather than coming from genuine feeling
not real or sincere; put on for show rather than coming from genuine feeling
A feigned smile does not hide the sadness in a person's eyes.
attributive: feigned + noun of expression
The diplomat's feigned enthusiasm for the treaty fooled no one in the room.
Nkechi could tell her colleague's sympathy was feigned and completely insincere.
The queen offered a feigned welcome to the rival noble at the palace gates.
Mr. Ito's feigned politeness disappeared the moment the guests walked out the door.
- pretended
less formal; more common in everyday speech
- insincere
focuses on dishonesty of intention rather than just falseness
- counterfeit
stronger; implies deliberate deception, often for fraud
- phony
informal and disapproving; suggests something obviously fake
文法句型
feigned + noun
be + feigned
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense verb/1: the adjective describes a quality (a feigned smile = a smile that is not genuine), while the verb describes an action (he feigned a smile = he produced a fake smile). Frequently used with nouns for emotions (smile, sympathy, enthusiasm, surprise, concern).
常見錯誤
2. invented or made up for a dishonest purpose, such as hiding who you really are
invented or made up for a dishonest purpose, such as hiding who you really are
The spy travelled across three countries using a feigned name and passport.
feigned + noun for identity
Ananya discovered the online profile linked to her account used a feigned address.
The old man gave the police a feigned address to protect his daughter's location.
Police arrested the man after he gave a feigned identity during the traffic stop.
The author used a feigned name to publish his early political essays.
- fictitious
broader; can mean simply 'not real, imaginary' without implying dishonesty
- false
common and direct; less formal than feigned
- bogus
informal; suggests the falseness is obvious or clumsy
文法句型
feigned + noun (name, identity, address, document)
用法筆記
Narrower than adj/1 (NOT GENUINE): this sense applies specifically to invented personal details (names, addresses, documents) used to deceive, not to general emotions or reactions.