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Feign vs Fake - What's the difference?

feign | fake |

Fake is a synonym of feign.



As verbs the difference between feign and fake

is that feign is to make a false copy or version of; to counterfeit while fake is to cheat; to swindle; to steal; to rob.

As an adjective fake is

not real; false, fraudulent.

As a noun fake is

something which is not genuine, or is presented fraudulently.

feign

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To make a false copy or version of; to counterfeit.
  • The pupil feigned sickness on the day of his exam.
    They feigned her signature on the cheque.
  • To imagine; to invent; to pretend.
  • He feigned that he had gone home at the appointed time.
  • To make an action as if doing one thing, but actually doing another, for example to trick an opponent.
  • * 2013 , Daniel Taylor, Rickie Lambert's debut goal gives England victory over Scotland'' (in ''The Guardian , 14 August 2013)[http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/aug/14/england-scotland-international-friendly]
  • Cahill was beaten far too easily for Miller's goal, although the striker deserves the credit for the way he controlled Alan Hutton's right-wing delivery, with his back to goal, feigned to his left then went the other way and pinged a splendid left-foot shot into Hart's bottom right-hand corner.
  • To hide or conceal.
  • Jessica feigned the fact that she had not done her homework.

    Synonyms

    * (represent by a false appearance) front, put on airs

    fake

    English

    Etymology 1

    (wikipedia fake) The origin is not known with certainty, although first attested in 1775

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Not real; false, fraudulent.
  • Which fur coat looks fake ?
    Synonyms
    * See also
    Antonyms
    * genuine

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something which is not genuine, or is presented fraudulently.
  • A trick; a swindle.
  • (soccer) Move meant to deceive an opposing player, used for gaining advantage when dribbling an opponent.
  • Synonyms
    * (soccer move) feint, (ice hokey move) deke

    Verb

    (fak)
  • To cheat; to swindle; to steal; to rob.
  • To make; to construct; to do. (rfexample)
  • To modify fraudulently, so as to make an object appear better or other than it really is; as, to fake a bulldog, by burning his upper lip and thus artificially shortening it.
  • To make a counterfeit, to counterfeit, to forge, to falsify.
  • To make a false display of, to affect, to feign, to simulate.
  • Synonyms
    * (To modify fraudulently) adulterate * (To make a false display) pass off, pose
    Derived terms
    * fake out * faker

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) (m), to coil a rope .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (nautical) One of the circles or windings of a cable or hawser, as it lies in a coil; a single turn or coil.
  • Verb

    (fak)
  • (nautical) To coil (a rope, line, or hawser), by winding alternately in opposite directions, in layers usually of zigzag or figure of eight form, to prevent twisting when running out.