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Pretense vs Portend - What's the difference?

pretense | portend |

As a noun pretense

is (us) a false or hypocritical profession, as, under pretense of friendliness.

As a verb portend is

to serve as a warning or omen.

pretense

English

Alternative forms

* pretence (Only correct spelling in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, and Commonwealth countries, and historical use in the United States) * (archaic)

Noun

(en noun)
  • (US) A false or hypocritical profession, as, under pretense of friendliness.
  • Intention or purpose not real but professed.
  • with only a pretense of accuracy
  • An unsupported claim made or implied.
  • An insincere attempt to reach a specific condition or quality.
  • Synonyms

    * affectation denotes deception for the sake of escape from punishment or an awkward situation * false pretense * fiction * imitation * pretext * sham * subterfuge * See also

    Anagrams

    * * *

    portend

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • to serve as a warning or omen
  • * John Milton, Paradise Lost
  • A kingdom they portend thee, but what kingdom, / Real or allegoric, I discern not; Nor when: eternal sure--as without end,
  • to signify; to denote
  • Let it be known that the Rapture portends the End of Days.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=June 26 , author=Genevieve Koski , title=Music: Reviews: Justin Bieber: Believe , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=When the staccato, Neptunes-ian single “Boyfriend” was released in March, musical prognosticators were quick to peg the album it portended , Believe, as Justin Bieber’s Justified, a grown-and-sexy, R&B-centric departure that evolved millennial teenybopper Justin Timberlake into one of the unifying pop-music figures of the aughts.}}

    Synonyms

    * foreshadow * presage

    See also

    * harbinger