🇬🇧🇪🇸 feign - fingir : English Lesson

Meaning of "feign" ("fingir"), detailed definition, and a short video lesson below.

To feign is to act like you feel something or know something when you really don’t. People might feign being sick to skip school, feign surprise when they already knew about a birthday party, or feign interest when someone talks about the history of paperclips. It’s like playing a little trick by pretending!

Watch and listen to this English flashcard to understand the word in more detail, with an easy example sentence.

I feigned being busy when Mom asked who wanted to fold the laundry.

I had to feign laughter at my uncle’s really bad joke about why bananas wear pajamas.

I had to feign interest in Grandpa’s 45-minute story about the world’s longest traffic jam.

My cat likes to feign innocence, even though we both know who knocked over the vase.

I tried to feign excitement when Dad served Brussels sprouts, but my face gave me away.

At bedtime she hides the torn toy and feigns sleep. When mother checks, she feigns a cough, feigns a calm face and feigns deep breathing. Mother lifts the blanket, finds the toy, laughs, then feigns anger for show and hugs her. She admits the trick; both laugh as the room softens.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.