- [uncountable, singular]
the act of behaving in a particular way, in order to make other people believe something that is not true 假象；伪装；虚伪的表现 Their friendliness was only pretence. 他们的友善态度只不过是装出来的。 - pretence of doing something
By the end of the evening she had abandoned all pretence of being interested. 到晚会结束时，她已将假装的兴趣抛得一干二净。 - pretence of something
He made no pretence of great musical knowledge. 他未敢妄称音乐知识丰富。 - pretence that…
She was unable to keep up the pretence that she loved him. 她无法继续假装爱他了。
Extra ExamplesThere is not even the slightest pretence of trying to make it realistic. 甚至丝毫没有设法做些掩饰使之看上去真实。 He was hanged without even the pretence of a proper trial. 连装模作样的审判一下都没有，他就被处以绞刑。 I don't know how long I can keep up this pretence of happiness. 我不知道自己装幸福还能像这样装多久。 She abandoned all pretence of neutrality and began to cheer. 她放弃所有中立的幌子，开始欢呼。 His pretence at friendliness fooled no one. 他的故作友好骗不了大家。 It was all an elaborate pretence. 这全是装腔作势。 Now that the pretence was over, he could tell them what he really thought. 既然不用假装了，他可以告诉他们自己的真实想法了。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- elaborate
- flimsy
- slight
- …
- keep up
- maintain
- sustain
- …
- be over
- under the pretence of
- pretence at
- pretence of
- …
- abandon all pretence
- abandon any pretence
- make a pretence
- …
- [uncountable, countable, usually singular] (formal or literary)
a claim that you have a particular quality or skill 妄称；自称；标榜 - pretence (to something)
a woman with some pretence to beauty 自诩有几分姿色的女人 - pretence (to doing something)
I make no pretence to being an expert on the subject. 我不敢自诩为这方面的专家。
- pretence (to something)
Word Originlate Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French pretense, based on medieval Latin pretensus ‘pretended’, alteration of Latin praetentus, from the verb praetendere ‘stretch forth, claim’, from prae ‘before’ + tendere ‘stretch’.