make-believe
Americannoun
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pretense, especially of an innocent or playful kind; playacting; fantasy.
the make-believe of children playing.
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a pretender; a person who pretends.
adjective
verb
noun
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a fantasy, pretence, or unreality
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( as modifier )
a make-believe world
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a person who pretends
Etymology
Origin of make-believe
First recorded in 1805–15
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Watching rehearsals, I felt as though I were observing a rigorous version of children’s make-believe.
From Los Angeles Times
Villarreal: Before we get into the film, I know you and Dakota spent a lot of time in your younger years playing make-believe.
From Los Angeles Times
We don’t need any make-believe substances to catch his drift, particularly his belief that, even if music may not change the world, at least it can provide some much-needed comfort from it.
From Los Angeles Times
Even younger infants show early signs of understanding make-believe.
From Science Daily
“I think they want to believe in the Spirit of the Sea more than any of the other weird make-believe things they’ve been chasing.”
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
