feign´er — feign «fayn», transitive verb. 1. to put on a false appearance of; make believe; pretend: »Some animals feign death when in danger. SYNONYM(S): assume, affect, simulate, sham. 2. to make up to deceive; invent falsely: »to feign an excuse … Useful english dictionary
Feign — Feign, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Feigned}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Feigning}.] [OE. feinen, F. feindre (p. pr. feignant), fr. L. fingere; akin to L. figura figure,and E. dough. See {Dough}, and cf. {Figure}, {Faint}, {Effigy}, {Fiction}.] 1. To give a mental … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
feign — c.1300, from O.Fr. feign , prp. stem of feindre pretend, represent, imitate, shirk (12c.), from L. fingere to touch, handle; devise; fabricate, alter, change (see FICTION (Cf. fiction)). Related: Feigned; feigning … Etymology dictionary
feign — feign; feign·er; … English syllables
feign — [feın] v [T] formal [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: feindre, from Latin fingere to shape, pretend ] to pretend to have a particular feeling or to be ill, asleep etc ▪ Feigning a headache, I went upstairs to my room … Dictionary of contemporary English
feign — [ feın ] verb transitive FORMAL to pretend to have a particular feeling: OK, she said, feigning indifference … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
feign — simulate, counterfeit, sham, pretend, affect, *assume Analogous words: fabricate, manufacture, forge (see MAKE): dissemble, *disguise, cloak, mask, camouflage … New Dictionary of Synonyms
feign — [v] pretend act, affect, assume, bluff*, counterfeit, devise, dissemble, dissimulate, do a bit*, fabricate, fake, forge, four flush*, give appearance of, imagine, imitate, invent, make show of*, phony up*, play, play possum*, put on, put on act* … New thesaurus
feign — ► VERB ▪ pretend to be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury). ORIGIN Old French feindre, from Latin fingere mould, contrive … English terms dictionary
feign — [fān] vt. [ME feinen < OFr feindre (prp. feignant) < L fingere, to touch, handle, shape: see FIGURE] 1. Obs. to form; shape 2. to make up (a story, excuse, etc.); invent; fabricate 3. to make a false show of; pretend; imitate; simulate 4.… … English World dictionary
