pretense

Noun

Meaning

Alt. of Pretence

Source: Webster's dictionary

Synonyms

pretext make-believe simulation deception pretending guise sham pretence affectation pretension dissembling feigning subterfuge Potemkin bluff

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Antonyms

hellenism show understanding communication conversation globe

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Hypernyms

color colour imaging imagination imagery deception

Hyponyms

bluff show mannerism make-believe appearance pose

Related terms

pretender pretend pretentious pretension pretentiousness pretentiosity

Phrases with the word

artificial pretense make a pretense of under false pretense

Anagrams

Petersen

Examples

Most of the confidence which I appear to feel, especially when influenced by noon wine, is only a pretense. Tennessee Williams

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. Thomas Jefferson

The pious pretense that evil does not exist only makes it vague, enormous and menacing. Aleister Crowley

It would be futile to attempt to fit women into a masculine pattern of attitudes, skills and abilities and disastrous to force them to suppress their specifically female characteristics and abilities by keeping up the pretense that there are no differences between the sexes. Arianna Huffington

Pretense is the overrating of any kind of knowledge we pretend to. Jonathan Swift

Piety is the tinfoil of pretense. Elbert Hubbard

Close letter words and terms

pretendingness Pretendolino pretendress pretensed pretenseful pretenseless