feigning

[fey-ning]

noun

1. the act of pretending or putting on a show in order to deceive.

   The feigning of hurt feelings is just a manipulative ploy she uses.

adjective

1. putting on a show in order to deceive; pretending.

   “It hurts,” moaned the feigning child on the floor, gripping her ankle in a convincing display of pain.

Other Word Forms

• feigningly adverb
• unfeigning adjective
• unfeigningly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of feigning¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; feign ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; feign ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

Colton said she could not have imagined such a possibility when she sat in school, feigning that she had no answers to teachers’ questions simply because she could not see the board.

From Los Angeles Times

And yet, many also practice the human tendency of feigning blindness concerning topics too unpleasant to confront directly.

From Salon

“Oh, that? Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Texans tight end Dalton Schultz said, feigning ignorance before easing into a wide smile.

From Los Angeles Times

Another couple tried on foot, feigning oblivion to the officers blocking the road.

From Los Angeles Times

Right-wing commentators spent an entire day feigning outrage that ABC’s debate moderators dared to challenge at least a few of the ex-president’s blatantly false assertions.

From Salon

Related Words

• cover-up 
• deceit 
• deception 
• dishonesty 
• distortion 
• fabrication 
• fakery 
• fallacy 
• falsity 
• misstatement www.thesaurus.com
• perjury 
• prevarication 
• sham 
• tall tale 
• untruth