Definition of "pretend"

"After what past at Upton, so soon to engage in a new amour with another woman, while I fancied, and you pretended, your heart was bleeding for me!"

1749, Henry Fielding, chapter 23, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], book XVIII

It's rather like a beautiful Inverness cloak one has inherited. Much too good to hide away, so one wears it instead of an overcoat and pretends it's an amusing new fashion.

1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess

But I love you / More than I wanted to / There's no point in trying to pretend

1983 October 31, Genesis, “That's All”, in Genesis‎

I have nothing but contempt for people who hire ghost-writers. But at least most faux authors have the decency to pretend that they are sweating blood over "their" book.

2009 April 13, “Vanity publishing”, in The Economist

This let him know, / Lest, wilfully transgressing, he pretend / Surprisal.

1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873,

Gap and other clothes manufacturers should stop using small subcontractors because they are difficult to control. Instead, they should open up their own fully-owned production facilities so that they cannot pretend ignorance when abuses are committed.

2007 October 29, The Guardian, London

Chiefs shall be grudged the part which they pretend.

1682, John Dryden, The Medal

People observed the diversity of schools and the acerbity of their disputes, and decided that all alike were pretending to knowledge which was in fact unattainable.

1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.25

"The truth is, Ma'am," said Mrs. Grant, pretending to whisper across the table to Mrs. Norris, "that Dr. Grant hardly knows what the natural taste of our apricot is; […]."

1814 July, [Jane Austen], chapter VI, in Mansfield Park: […], volume I, London: […] T[homas] Egerton, […], pages 111–112

Luster claimed that the women had consented to sex and were only pretending to be asleep.

2003 January 23, Duncan Campbell, The Guardian, London

Lest that too heavenly form, pretended / To hellish falsehood, snare them.

1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873,

Such as shall pretend / Malicious practices against his state.

1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act IV, scene i]

Pastorella […] Was by the Captaine all this while defended, / Who, minding more her safety then himselfe, / His target alwayes over her pretended […].

1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie