Pretended is a word that implies an action or statement that is not true or genuine. However, there are many other words that can be used to describe the same situation. Some synonyms for pretended include feigned, simulated, faked, acted, posed, put on, false, artificial, and bogus. Each of these words conveys a slightly different meaning, but all refer to something that is not genuinely real. Whether someone is pretending to be happy, pretending to know something they don't, or pretending to be someone else entirely, there are multiple ways to express this concept without relying solely on the word pretended.