Make Your Point: FEIGN

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pronounce FEIGN:

FANE

connect this word to others:

In Latin, fingere means "to touch, to handle, to form, to shape, to create, to change, or to devise."

Fingere trickled into English words like fiction, effigy, figure, configure, figurative, feign (the word we're checking out today), and f_g___t (meaning "a made-up story or theory, or an idea that only exists in someone's mind"). Can you recall that last word?

In a crazy twist, fingere isn't the source of the word finger in English: that one traces back through Old English to Proto-Germanic and may possibly trace back all the way to a hypothesized root, penkwe-, meaning "five."

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

"Feign" traces back to a Latin word meaning "to devise, to fabricate."

To feign something is to fake it: to pretend to be feeling it, or to pretend to be doing it, usually because you want others to believe it's what you're actually doing or feeling.

You might feign a smile when you aren't really happy, or you might feign sleep when you just want to be left alone.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Verb, the transitive kind: "She feigns a yawn;" "He feigned surprise;" "They feigned illness to get out of work."

Other forms:

Feigns, feigned, feigning, feigner(s).

A very closely related word is "feint." It's both a verb and a noun. If you feint something, you fake it, and a feint is a fake attack, a fake appearance, or a pretense of anything.

how to use it:

Pick the common, formal word "feign" when you want to emphasize that someone is faking something as other people are watching or listening.

We often talk about people feigning smiles, laughter, sickness, yawns, sleepiness, interest, enthusiasm, ignorance, and innocence.

examples:

"'What money?' he asked in a tone of feigned surprise."
— Richard Wright, Native Son, 1940

"Constance had her eyes squeezed tightly shut, unconvincingly feigning sleep."
— Trenton Lee Stewart, The Mysterious Benedict Society, 2007

has this page helped you understand "feign"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "feign" without saying "pretend" or "put on a show of."

try it out:

Here's Ferris Bueller, explaining how to feign illness to skip school:

"Parents always fall for the clammy hands. It's physical evidence of illness. It's a good, non-specific symptom... Fake a stomach cramp and when you're doubled over, moaning and wailing, just lick your palms. It's a little stupid and childish, but then, so is high school. Right?"

Yup, it's pretty childish! See if you can reach back in your memory to a time you feigned illness. Why did you do it? What were you avoiding?

Or, if you've never feigned illness, talk about a time you had to feign interest, enthusiasm, or appreciation.

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "That’s What They Said."

Consider a quote from The Office, and decide which of three given terms you can most easily connect it to. You can see my suggested answer by scrolling to the bottom of the issue. But yours doesn’t need to match mine.

For example, if I give you this:

Kelly: "I talk a lot, so I've learned to just tune myself out." Abstemious, garrulous, or ominous?

Then you might answer, "Garrulous, because Kelly talks on and on."

Try this last one today:

Kevin: "Me think, why waste time say lot word, when few word do trick?" Pithy, labyrinthine, or weather-wise?

review this word:

1. The opposite of FEIGNED is

A. GENUINE.
B. RELAXED.
C. DISTINGUISHED.

2. In Ophelia, Lisa Klein wrote, "I found myself weeping _____ tears, not feigned ones."

A. few
B. true
C. open

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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