Meaning of "feign" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD FEIGN

From Old French feindre to pretend, from Latin fingere to form, shape, invent.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF FEIGN

feign  [feɪn]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF FEIGN

Feign is a verb.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb feign in English.

WHAT DOES FEIGN MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Deception

Deception, beguilement, deceit, bluff, mystification and subterfuge are acts to propagate beliefs of things that are not true, or not the whole truth. Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda, and sleight of hand, as well as distraction, camouflage, or concealment. There is also self-deception, as in bad faith. Deception is a major relational transgression that often leads to feelings of betrayal and distrust between relational partners. Deception violates relational rules and is considered to be a negative violation of expectations. Most people expect friends, relational partners, and even strangers to be truthful most of the time. If people expected most conversations to be untruthful, talking and communicating with others would require distraction and misdirection to acquire reliable information. A significant amount of deception occurs between romantic and relational partners.

Definition of feign in the English dictionary

The first definition of feign in the dictionary is to put on a show of ; pretend. Other definition of feign is to make up; invent. Feign is also to copy; imitate.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO FEIGN

PRESENT

Present

I feign

you feign

he/she/it feigns

we feign

you feign

they feign

Present continuous

I am feigning

you are feigning

he/she/it is feigning

we are feigning

you are feigning

they are feigning

Present perfect

I have feigned

you have feigned

he/she/it has feigned

we have feigned

you have feigned

they have feigned

Present perfect continuous

I have been feigning

you have been feigning

he/she/it has been feigning

we have been feigning

you have been feigning

they have been feigning

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I feigned

you feigned

he/she/it feigned

we feigned

you feigned

they feigned

Past continuous

I was feigning

you were feigning

he/she/it was feigning

we were feigning

you were feigning

they were feigning

Past perfect

I had feigned

you had feigned

he/she/it had feigned

we had feigned

you had feigned

they had feigned

Past perfect continuous

I had been feigning

you had been feigning

he/she/it had been feigning

we had been feigning

you had been feigning

they had been feigning

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will feign

you will feign

he/she/it will feign

we will feign

you will feign

they will feign

Future continuous

I will be feigning

you will be feigning

he/she/it will be feigning

we will be feigning

you will be feigning

they will be feigning

Future perfect

I will have feigned

you will have feigned

he/she/it will have feigned

we will have feigned

you will have feigned

they will have feigned

Future perfect continuous

I will have been feigning

you will have been feigning

he/she/it will have been feigning

we will have been feigning

you will have been feigning

they will have been feigning

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would feign

you would feign

he/she/it would feign

we would feign

you would feign

they would feign

Conditional continuous

I would be feigning

you would be feigning

he/she/it would be feigning

we would be feigning

you would be feigning

they would be feigning

Conditional perfect

I would have feign

you would have feign

he/she/it would have feign

we would have feign

you would have feign

they would have feign

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been feigning

you would have been feigning

he/she/it would have been feigning

we would have been feigning

you would have been feigning

they would have been feigning

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you feign
we let´s feign
you feign

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to feign

Past participle

feigned

Present Participle

feigning

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «FEIGN»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «feign» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of feign

act · affect · assume · counterfeit · devise · dissemble · fabricate · fake · forge · imitate · pretend · put on · sham · simulate

TRANSLATION OF FEIGN

Find out the translation of feign to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of feign from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «feign» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 佯作
• Translator English - Spanish: fingir
• English: feign
• Translator English - Hindi: बहाना
• Translator English - Arabic: اختلق
• Translator English - Russian: симулировать
• Translator English - Portuguese: fingir
• Translator English - Bengali: ছল করা
• Translator English - French: feindre
• Translator English - Malay: Feign
• Translator English - German: vortäuschen
• Translator English - Japanese: ふりをする
• Translator English - Korean: ~을 가장하다
• Translator English - Javanese: Feign
• Translator English - Vietnamese: đặt chuyện
• Translator English - Tamil: feign
• Translator English - Marathi: खोटे बोलणे
• Translator English - Turkish: uydurmak
• Translator English - Italian: fingere
• Translator English - Polish: udawać
• Translator English - Ukrainian: симулювати
• Translator English - Romanian: preface
• Translator English - Greek: προσποιούμαι
• Translator English - Afrikaans: maak asof
• Translator English - Swedish: feign
• Translator English - Norwegian: late

10 QUOTES WITH «FEIGN»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word feign.

1

Lake Bell

Actually, in my own life I think I probably feign neuroses to be more interesting than I am.

2

Ward Churchill

I am not a 'defender' of the September 11 attacks, but simply pointing out that if U.S. foreign policy results in massive death and destruction abroad, we cannot feign innocence when some of that destruction is returned.

3

Ward Churchill

If U.S. foreign policy results in massive death and destruction abroad, we cannot feign innocence when some of that destruction is returned.

4

Juan Goytisolo

The writer cannot abandon himself simply to inspiration, and feign innocence vis a vis language, because language is never innocent.

5

Hedy Lamarr

I would tell anyone who wants something from someone else to feign not wanting it. People are perverse. If you show great affection to them, they'll run the other way.

6

Norman Macleod

As adults feign disinterest in science - children can grab hold of it to distinguish themselves.

7

Kathleen Troia McFarland

The problem with people who live in a world of speeches and books and theories is they don't know how to fix things in the real world when they go wrong. They feign ignorance, blame others, and make another eloquent speech.

8

Marquis de Sade

There is no more lively sensation than that of pain; its impressions are certain and dependable, they never deceive as may those of the pleasure women perpetually feign and almost never experience.

9

Albert Speer

Cases of sickness made up a very small percentage which in my opinion was normal. However, propaganda pamphlets dropped from aircraft were telling the workers to feign illness, and detailed instructions were given to them on how to do it.

10

Quentin Tarantino

Something stopped me in school a little bit. Anything that I'm not interested in, I can't even feign interest.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «FEIGN»

Discover the use of feign in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to feign and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

How the Animals Do It:

Amazing facts and hilarious illustrations about the sex habits of our gilled, winged, furry and slimy cousins in the animal kingdom.

Larry Feign, 2011

The Feign'D Curtizans Or a Nights Intrigue

Cor. Her Sex, a pretty consideration by my youth, an Oath I shall not violate this dozen year, my sex shou'd excuse me, if to preserve their fame, they expected I shou'd ruin my own quiet: in chusing an ill favourd Husband, such as Octavio ...

Aphra Behn, 2010

A Dictionary of the Bible: Volume II: (Part I: Feign -- Hyssop)

James Hastings. A Dictionary of the Bible Dealing with its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology Edited by James Hastings, M.A., D.D. With the assistance of John Selbie, M.A., D.D. A. B. Davidson, D.D., LL. D. S. R. ...

James Hastings, 2004

Anti-Pamela: or, Feign'd Innocence detected; in a series of ...

I ' Feign'd Innocence DETECTED; ln a SERIES of STRENAA ADVENTURES. A. - _-' -_--_-_--_-_. I ' K I ' ' . ' . , . ' a 'a ' . . .I . . . ' . O ' ' '. . . . . . ' ' O . - , . . - . i 'a 1 . . K . . - . ' . I ' , . ' / . . . I I . '' 5] a . .. ,a. '.... ].'..'.'u... . . .]

‎1741

Non-finite Complementation: A Usage-based Study of ...

'Feign -ing' resembles 'mime -ing' except that in its case the subject does indeed intend to deceive the observers. 'feign to infinitive', on the other hand, resembles ' pretend to infinitive' in that it encodes a judgement by the speaker on the ...

Thomas Egan, 2008

Hongkongitis: Reports from the Wackiest Place on Earth

While everyone else in Hong Kong was out doing real jobs, writer and cartoonist Larry Feign put together this collection of true but ridiculous facts, observations and stupid scientific theories about the most hyperventilating, oddly ...

Larry Feign, 2007

Feign

Weżd rather just listen to her characters acting out in these ingenious poems. Theyżre beautiful, not a little dangerous, a touch magical, algebraical (if thatżs a word at allżwell, it is now; Bowen has driven us, pleasingly, to this).

Kristy Bowen, 2007

Malingering Strategies Used to Feign Posttraumatic Stress ...

This study filled that void by utilizing a newly modified malingering strategy questionnaire, adapted from previous studies, to explore the malingering strategies of 418 college students trained and instructed to feign posttraumatic stress ...

Jimmie J. Butcher, 2006

Comic Art in Africa, Asia, Australia, and Latin America ...

60. 1491. Browning, Michael. "As Era Draws to a Close, American Cartoonist Is Ready To Move on." Miami Herald. July 3, 1997. 1492. Chow, Rey. "Larry Feign, Ethnographer of a 'Lifestyle': Political Cartoons from Hong Kong." Boundary 2.

John A. Lent, 2004

Love and Lust: On the Psychoanalysis of Romantic and Sexual ...

It is not the same as when we feign pity or gratitude. It has a different emotional quality. Other sham feelings may be venial offenses but to feign love is a sin against the Holy Ghost. It is like cheating, promising something that we cannot fulfill.

Theodor Reik, 2002

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «FEIGN»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term feign is used in the context of the following news items.

The Insiders: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are experts at …

She can say whatever she wants, true or not, and the media mostly go along with it or feign disappointment that there is not more to say. «Washington Post, Jul 15»

It's RIGGED: Why You Will Learn To LOVE Hillary

Here's the game plan right out of Sun Tzu's The Art of War: Feign weakness. Show modest crowds at Hillary get-togethers and overflow crowds ... «Western Journalism, Jul 15»

Theater review: Spotlight Theatre's "The Foreigner" is light, frothy fun …

Lee (Catherine Simms and Luke Sorge) discussing unwelcome pregnancy news, and finds it easier to feign ignorance than admit to ... «The Denver Post, Jul 15»

When Muslims Betray Non-Muslim Friends and Neighbors

... Assad's pre-Islamic State Syria): then they may preach and even feign peace, tolerance and coexistence with their non-Muslim neighbors. «Christian Post, Jul 15»

Why is Obama slow-playing our enemies?

In poker, sometimes when you've got a strong hand you pretend not to. You feign weakness in order to entice other players to bet more. «The Augusta Chronicle, Jul 15»

'Teachers could learn a lot from professional wrestlers' - Telegraph

Wrestlers feign their 'character' as they enter the ring – the lights dim, the music blares and the crowd erupts, but how should a teacher go ... «Telegraph.co.uk, Jul 15»

Buhari And Oil Sector Reform: Fresh Agenda Of Enemies Of …

How could the committee members feign ignorance of the fact that from day one, the IOCs hated the PIB because of the reworked fiscal ... «SaharaReporters.com, Jul 15»

The workers comp story you don't hear - Quad-Cities Online …

The insurance companies feign financial hardship. But the fact is, according to the IWCC, Illinois has more insurers selling workers' comp ... «Quad-Cities Online, Jul 15»

Bird behaviour entertains, illuminates | The London Free Press

Killdeers will feign injury to draw potential predators away from their nest. Still interesting but certainly cringe-inducing is urohydrosis, which is ... «London Free Press, Jul 15»

Hannibal Episode 3.6 Recap | Dork Shelf

Bedelia's plan, as Hannibal's other victims converge on her home, is to shoot up with Dr. Lecter's signature hypnotic drug cocktail and feign ... «DorkShelf.com, Jul 15»