/ feɪn; NAmE / verb
( formal ) to pretend that you have a particular feeling or that you are ill / sick, tired, etc. :
[ vn ]
He survived the massacre by feigning death.
'Who cares?' said Alex, feigning indifference.
[also v to inf ]
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French feign- , stem of feindre , from Latin fingere mould, contrive. Senses in Middle English (taken from Latin ) included make something , invent a story, excuse, or allegation , hence make a pretence of a feeling or response . Compare with fiction and figment .