pretence

noun

1. 假象；伪装；虚伪的表现
   the act of behaving in a particular way, in order to make other people believe sth that is not true
   1. Their friendliness was only pretence.
      他们的友善态度只不过是装出来的。
   2. 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。
   3. He made no pretence of great musical knowledge.
      他未敢妄称音乐知识丰富。
   4. She was unable to keep up the pretence that she loved him.
      她无法继续假装爱他了。
2. 妄称；自称；标榜
   a claim that you have a particular quality or skill
   1. a woman with some pretence to beauty
      自诩有几分姿色的女人
   2. I make no pretence to being an expert on the subject.
      我不敢自诩为这方面的专家。

in AM, use 美国英语用 pretense


1. N-VAR 假装；做作；矫饰
   A pretence is an action or way of behaving that is intended to make people believe something that is not true.
   1. Welland made a pretence of writing a note in his pad...
      韦兰假装在便笺薄上做笔记。
   2. We have to go along with the pretence that things are getting better...
      我们只得一直假装情形在好转。
   3. The government abandoned any pretence of reform.
      政府不再装模作样地进行改革。
2. PHRASE 以虚假的借口；以欺骗的手段
   If you do something under false pretences, you do it when people do not know the truth about you and your intentions.
   1. I could not go on living with a man who had married me under false pretences...
      我再也不能和一个靠谎言骗我结婚的男人继续生活下去了。
   2. Conrad had been imprisoned for a year for gaining money by false pretences.
      康拉德因为诈骗钱财已经坐了一年的牢。

1. The playwright cocooned himself in a world of pretence.
   这个剧作家与世隔绝，生活在一个虚幻的世界里。
2. Under the pretence of lighting a candle, she evades him and disappears
   她假装点蜡烛，避开他消失了。
3. Altman strips away the pretence and mythology to expose the film industry as a business like any other.
   奥尔特曼戳穿了电影产业的虚伪面具以及普遍存在的一些错误认识，揭露了其作为一个产业，跟其他任何一个产业都一样。
4. Welland made a pretence of writing a note in his pad
   韦兰假装在便笺薄上做笔记。
5. We have to go along with the pretence that things are getting better
   我们只得一直假装情形在好转。
6. The government abandoned any pretence of reform.
   政府不再装模作样地进行改革。
7. I could not go on living with a man who had married me under false pretences
   我再也不能和一个靠谎言骗我结婚的男人继续生活下去了。
8. Conrad had been imprisoned for a year for gaining money by false pretences.
   康拉德因为诈骗钱财已经坐了一年的牢。
9. Xue Pan hastened to register himself as a pupil. His school-going was, needless to say, a pretence--“ one day fishing and two days to dry the net ” as they say--and had nothing to do with the advancement of learning.
   薛蟠也假说来上学，不过是：“三天打鱼，两天晒网”*却不见有一点进益。
10. His religion was a mere pretence.
    他信教纯属假充样子。
11. The family depended on his ability to wangle a few dollars occasionally. With this money, they would eat well and dress well for a while, making a pretence of affluence.
    一家人全靠他在外面讹个钱，诈个财，吃点好的，穿点好的，装门面。
12. Those people slapped together an outfit and under the pretence of collecting for charity, bluffed and cheated their way around.
    几个人搭了个草台班子，打着慈善捐款的幌子到处招摇撞骗。
13. His mannerisms are affected and full of pretence.
    他的那副派头完全是装腔作势，假得很。
14. The employer often scolded his men on the slightest pretence.
    这个老板常常以一点点借口就责骂他的员工。
15. Get the captain and squire down to the cabin, and then make some pretence to send for me.
    快让船长和乡绅到船舱去，然后再假装有事找我。
16. Camilla presided over the meeting. She was a woman without pretence.
    卡米拉主持会议，她是个不做作的人。
17. I have no pretence to be an expert on the subject.
    我并不自命是这方面的专家。
18. There is no longer any need for pretence between us.
    我们之间不再需要遮遮掩掩了。
19. His followers pressed him, telling him his magic was all a pretence.
    跟随他的人对他施加压力，激他说他的魔法全是假的。
20. Ex: He made a pretence of enjoying the food.
    他假装很喜欢这种食物。
21. Within thirty seconds any pretence was always unnecessary.
    不消三十秒，所有借口全成了多余的废物。
22. Any such pretence on his part would have been simply ridiculous.
    他那方面的任何这种冒充，都会是荒谬可笑的。
23. This is only a pretence and a false image of love; for at bottom it is only hate.
    这仅是伪装，是仁爱的假象，归根到底，它只不过是恨。
24. His family kept up the pretence that he had been ill.
    他的家人继续假装他生病了。
25. He made a pretence of being happy at the party.
    晚会上他假装很高兴。
26. Every day he came home early, and at last made no pretence of going anywhere.
    他每天都早早回家，最后索性也不假装要去什么地方了。
27. We cannot disguise hostility towards any religion behind the pretence of liberalism.
    我们不能假借自由之名来掩饰自己的敌意，对宗教进行攻击。
28. The army has given up any pretence of neutrality in the war.
    军队已放弃了在战争中的中立伪装。
29. He is send to prison for obtain money by false pretence.
    因为诈骗钱财他被收监。
30. Your plea of old age is only a pretence.
    您借口说您年纪老了，这不过是托辞。

n.

by/under/on false pretences

• 靠欺诈手段；以虚假的借口
  by pretending to be sth that you are not, in order to gain some advantage for yourself
  1. She was accused of obtaining money under false pretences.
     她被控诈骗钱财。

noun

1. the act of giving a false appearance
   1. his conformity was only pretending

   Synonym:    pretensepretendingsimulationfeigning

2. an artful or simulated semblance
   1. under the guise of friendship he betrayed them

   Synonym:    guisepretensepretext

3. a false or unsupportable quality

   Synonym:    pretensionpretense

4. imaginative intellectual play

   Synonym:    pretensemake-believe

5. pretending with intention to deceive

   Synonym:    pretensefeigningdissembling