feigned

adjective

ˈfānd 

1

: fictitious

Was his account actual or feigned?

2

: not genuine or real

showered him with feigned compliments

Synonyms

• affected
• artificial
• assumed
• bogus
• contrived
• factitious
• fake
• false
• forced
• mechanical
• mock
• phony
• phoney
• plastic
• pretended
• pseudo
• put-on
• sham
• simulated
• spurious
• strained
• unnatural

Examples of feigned in a Sentence

the feigned applause that polite people give after a bad concert

the feigned looks of innocence I got when I asked who had broken the lamp

Recent Examples on the Web

Sugarcane repeats Obama’s feigned concern for the plight of indigenous people that first worked magic in 2008, an America-last doc about Canada’s Sugarcane reserve. —Armond White, National Review, 17 Jan. 2025

If responding to questions with feigned but believable thoughtfulness was all that mattered, Lindsey Graham would be President. —Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024

As the knife drew closer, Jennings, whose back was to the camera, turned around and leapt back in feigned terror. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

Cruising through the rollout without addressing much controversy challenges XOXO’s feigned edginess. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 26 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English feyned, feigned, from past participle of feynen "to feign"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1