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Added 9 October 2026

feign

/feɪn/ verb

Latin root: fingere Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about feign at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Make believe with the intent to deceive.
He feigned that he was ill
Make a pretence of.
She assumed indifference, even though she was seething with anger

Origin

From Middle English feynen, feinen, borrowed from Old French feindre (“to pretend”), from Latin fingere (“to form, shape, invent”). Compare French feignant (present participle of feindre, literally “feigning”). Also compare feint, figment and fiction.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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