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Another word for pretense

a-z
Noun

  1. The presentation of something false as true

    See also:

    true

    honest

  2. A display of insincere behavior

    See also:

    true

    honest

  3. Artificial behavior adopted to impress others

      1. To set forth in words for consideration; propound:
      2. To present or constitute:
      3. To place (a model, for example) in a specific position.
      1. A distinctive behavioral trait, especially one that calls attention to itself; an idiosyncrasy.
      2. Exaggerated or affected style in an art:
      3. An artistic style of the late 1500s characterized by distortion of elements such as scale and perspective.
      1. A colorless, odorless, tasteless, gaseous mixture, mainly nitrogen (approximately 78 percent) and oxygen (approximately 21 percent) with lesser amounts of argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, neon, helium, and other gases.
      2. This mixture with varying amounts of moisture and particulate matter, enveloping the earth; the atmosphere.
      3. The sky; the firmament.
      1. A mannerism or habit that is assumed rather than natural, especially to impress others.
      2. Behavior characterized by such mannerisms or habits; artificiality:
    See also:

    true

    honest

  4. A professed rather than a real reason

    See also:

    honest

  5. A deceptive outward appearance

      1. Pretended; feigned.
      2. A deceptive outward appearance.
      3. The act of teasing or misleading someone, especially for amusement.
      1. Decorative exhibition of retail merchandise in store windows.
      2. Goods and trimmings used in such displays.
      3. A means of improving appearances or creating a falsely favorable impression:
      1. A thin surface layer, as of finely grained wood, glued to a base of inferior material.
      2. Any of the thin layers glued together to make plywood.
      3. A decorative facing, as of brick.
      1. A length of cloth worn over the head, shoulders, and often the face, especially by women.
      2. A length of netting attached to a woman's hat or habit, worn for decoration or to protect the head and face.
      3. A length of protective netting worn over the face by beekeepers.
      1. To cause or allow to be seen; display:
      2. To display for sale, in exhibition, or in competition:
      3. To permit access to (a house, for example) when offering for sale or rent.
      1. An outward or token appearance:
      2. A representation; a copy.
      3. The barest trace; a modicum:
      1. A reason or excuse given to hide the real reason for something.
      1. A costume party at which masks are worn; a masked ball.
      2. A costume for such a party or ball.
      3. A disguise or false outward show; a pretense:
      1. A covering, as of cloth, that has openings for the eyes, entirely or partly conceals the face, and is worn especially at a masquerade ball.
      2. A grotesque or comical representation of a face, worn especially to frighten or amuse, as at Halloween.
      3. A facial covering worn for ritual.
      1. Outward appearance or aspect; semblance.
      2. False appearance; pretense:
      3. Mode of dress; garb:
      1. A surface shininess or luster.
      2. A kind of paint that dries to a shiny finish.
      3. A cosmetic that adds shine or luster, such as lip gloss.
      1. The forward part or surface, as of a building.
      2. The area, location, or position directly before or ahead.
      3. A position of leadership or superiority.
      1. The surface of the front of the head from the top of the forehead to the base of the chin and from ear to ear.
      2. A person:
      3. A person's countenance:
      1. To modify the manner or appearance of (a person, for example) in order to prevent recognition:
      2. To make indistinct or difficult to perceive:
      3. To conceal or obscure by dissemblance or false show; misrepresent:
      1. To place something upon or over, so as to protect or conceal:
      2. To overlay or spread with something:
      3. To put a cover or covering on:
      1. The art, manner, or process of applying color.
      2. A substance used to color something.
      3. Appearance with regard to color.
      1. The appearance of objects or light sources described in terms of the individual's perception of them, involving hue, lightness, and saturation for objects, and hue, brightness, and saturation for light sources.
      2. The characteristics of light by which the individual is made aware of objects or light sources through the receptors of the eye, described in terms of dominant wavelength, luminance, and purity.
      3. A gradation or variation of this aspect, especially when other than black, white, or gray; a hue:
      1. A loose outer garment, such as a cape.
      2. Something that covers or conceals:
      3. To cover or conceal with a cloak or something that acts like a cloak:
    See also:

    show

  6. A legitimate or supposed right to demand something as one's rightful due

      1. A claim; rights:
      2. Money, especially in small amounts.
      1. An identifying name given to a book, play, film, musical composition, or other work.
      2. A general or descriptive heading, as of a book chapter.
      3. A written work that is published or about to be published:
      1. A specious allegation; a pretext:
      2. A claim to something, such as a skill or profession:
      3. The advancing of such a claim:
      1. To demand, ask for, or take as one's own or one's due:
      2. To take in a violent manner as if by right:
      3. To state to be true, especially when open to question; assert or maintain:
    See also:

    request

    owned

© Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Another word for pretense

Noun

  1. The act of pretending

    See also:

    imitation

    dishonesty

    Antonyms:

  2. Something pretended

    See also:

    trick

    imitation

    deception

© WEBSTER’S NEW WORLD® ROGET’S A-Z THESAURUS by Charlton Laird and the editors of Webster’s New World dictionaries. Copyright © 1999 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Sentence Examples

  • From the pretense of illness, from his daughter's distress, and by the embarrassed faces of Sonya and Marya Dmitrievna, the count saw clearly that something had gone wrong during his absence, but it was so terrible for him to think that anything disgraceful had happened to his beloved daughter, and he so prized his own cheerful tranquillity, that he avoided inquiries and tried to assure himself that nothing particularly had happened; and he was only dissatisfied that her indisposition delayed their return to the country.

  • Without any pretense she was now afraid of everything.

  • But much as all the rest laughed, talked, and joked, much as they enjoyed their Rhine wine, saute, and ices, and however they avoided looking at the young couple, and heedless and unobservant as they seemed of them, one could feel by the occasional glances they gave that the story about Sergey Kuzmich, the laughter, and the food were all a pretense, and that the whole attention of that company was directed to-- Pierre and Helene.

  • The princess, picking up her dress, was taking her seat in the dark carriage, her husband was adjusting his saber; Prince Hippolyte, under pretense of helping, was in everyone's way.

  • The committee abandoned any pretense that it was serious about the reform of our public services.

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Words near pretense in the Thesaurus