Feigned — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈfānd/

Meaning & Definition of Feigned

Feigned (adjective)

  1. fictitious
  2. not genuine or real

Feigned (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. lacking in natural or spontaneous quality

    "the feigned applause that polite people give after a bad concert"

    similar: affected, artificial, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake, false, forced, mechanical, mock, phony, plastic, pretended, pseudo, put-on, sham, simulated, spurious, strained, unnatural
    related: automatic, canned, concocted, fabricated, hokey, labored, manufactured, pat, unauthentic, unreal, unrealistic, double-dealing, empty, facile, hollow, hypocritical, insincere, left-handed, mealy, mealymouthed, two-faced, unctuous, exaggerated, histrionic, melodramatic, overacted, overdone, theatrical, cute, cutesy, genteel, goody-goody, mincing, overrefined, simpering, conventional, formal, impersonal, inflexible, rigid, stiff, stylized, wooden, artful, calculated, conscious, cultivated, deliberate, premeditated, studied
    opposite: artless, genuine, natural, spontaneous, unaffected, uncontrived, unfeigned, unforced
    near: authentic, bona fide, real, realistic, right, true, honest, ingenuous, sincere, unpretending, easy, effortless, smooth, extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, unconscious, unprompted, unrehearsed, unstudied

  2. not being or expressing what one appears to be or express

    "the feigned looks of innocence I got when I asked who had broken the lamp"

    similar: artificial, backhanded, counterfeit, double, double-dealing, double-faced, fake, hypocritical, insincere, Janus-faced, jive (slang), left-handed, lip, mealy, mealymouthed, Pecksniffian, phony, phony-baloney, pretended, two-faced, unctuous
    related: affected, assumed, claptrap, contrived, forced, mechanical, put-on, simulated, strained, unnatural, empty, hollow, meaningless, deceitful, devious, dishonest, false, untruthful, facile, glib, superficial, bogus, sham, campy, facetious, jocular, tongue-in-cheek, canting, pharisaical, pious, sanctimonious, self-righteous, simon-pure
    opposite: artless, candid, genuine, heartfelt, honest, sincere, undesigning, unfeigned
    near: direct, forthright, frank, heart-to-heart, open, plain, straightforward

Feigned (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to present a false appearance of

    "I would never feign illness just to get out of a test"

    similar: acted, affected, assumed, bluffed, counterfeited, dissembled, faked, passed (for), pretended, professed, put on, shammed, simulated, made believe
    related: dissimulated, impersonated, let on, masqueraded, playacted, played, posed, forged, imitated, camouflaged, concealed, disguised, masked, feinted, malingered

Related Entry: Feign (verb)

Feign is a different word from Feigned. The synonyms below are for feign, not for feigned.

  1. to present a false appearance of

    "I would never feign illness just to get out of a test"

    similar: act, affect, assume, bluff, counterfeit, dissemble, fake, pass (for), pretend, profess, put on, sham, simulate, make believe
    related: dissimulate, impersonate, let on, masquerade, play, playact, pose, forge, imitate, camouflage, conceal, disguise, mask, feint, malinger

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Feigned

The most common words with a similar meaning to Feigned:

Slang: jive
affected, artificial, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake, false, forced, mechanical, mock, phony, plastic, pretended, pseudo, put-on, sham, simulated, spurious, strained, unnatural, backhanded, counterfeit, double, double-dealing, double-faced, hypocritical, insincere, Janus-faced, left-handed, lip, mealy, mealymouthed, Pecksniffian, phony-baloney, two-faced, unctuous, acted, bluffed, counterfeited

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Feigned

Words with the opposite meaning of Feigned:

artless, genuine, natural, spontaneous, unaffected, uncontrived, unfeigned, unforced, candid, heartfelt, honest, sincere, undesigning

Related Words for Feigned

automatic, canned, concocted, fabricated, hokey, labored, manufactured, pat, unauthentic, unreal, unrealistic, empty, facile, hollow, exaggerated, histrionic, melodramatic, overacted, overdone, theatrical, cute, cutesy, genteel, goody-goody, mincing, overrefined, simpering, conventional, formal, impersonal

Near Antonyms of Feigned

authentic, bona fide, real, realistic, right, true, ingenuous, unpretending, easy, effortless, smooth, extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, unconscious, unprompted, unrehearsed, unstudied, direct, forthright, frank, heart-to-heart, open, plain, straightforward

Origin & Etymology of Feigned

Middle English feyned, feigned, from past participle of feynen "to feign"

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Feigned

What does "Feigned" mean?

"Feigned" means fictitious. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: fictitious. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Feigned"?

Other words for "Feigned" include affected, artificial, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake and false. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Feigned" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Feigned"?

There are 123 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Feigned". Common alternatives include affected, artificial, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake, false, forced and mechanical.

What is the opposite of "Feigned"?

Antonyms of "Feigned" include artless, genuine, natural, spontaneous, unaffected, uncontrived, unfeigned and unforced. Near antonyms include authentic, bona fide, real and realistic.

How do you use "Feigned" in a sentence?

Examples of "Feigned" in a sentence: "the feigned applause that polite people give after a bad concert"; "the feigned looks of innocence I got when I asked who had broken the lamp"; "I would never feign illness just to get out of a test".

Is "Feigned" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Feigned" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Feigned"?

"Feigned" is pronounced /ˈfānd/.

What is the origin of the word "Feigned"?

"Feigned" comes from Middle English feyned, feigned, from past participle of feynen "to feign". First known use: 14th century.