make believe
The phrase “make believe” has 3 syllables: make be-lieve
It's pronounced as /meɪk bɪˈliːv/
What is synonym and antonym for make believe?
In the thesaurus, “make believe” has 147 synonyms and 27 antonyms.
Here are synonyms and antonyms for make believe along with examples of usage in sentences.
Synonyms for make believe
- Potemkin village
- abstract
- act
- act as if
- act as though
- acted
- affect
- affectation
- air
- appearance
- assume
- bluff
- camouflage
- charade
- chimeric
- chimerical
- cloak
- conceal
- conceived
- concocted
- counterfeit
- daydreamlike
- deceptive
- delusional
- delusive
- demonstration
- disguise
- display
- dissemble
- dissimulate
- dissimulation
- dream
- effect
- enact
- envisaged
- envisioned
- exterior
- fabled
- fabricated
- fabulous
- facade
- face
- fairy tale
- fake
- fakery
- false
- fanciful
- fantasied
- fantasize
- fantasized
- fantastic
- fantastical
- fantasy
- feign
- feigned
- feint
- fiction
- fictional
- fictitious
- fictive
- fool
- forge
- fraudulent
- front
- gloss
- guise
- hallucinatory
- hint
- hypothetical
- ideal
- illusory
- image
- imaginal
- imaginary
- imagination
- imagine
- imagined
- imitate
- imitation
- impersonate
- implication
- imposture
- impression
- inexistent
- insinuation
- invented
- legendary
- let on
- let on like
- likeness
- made-up
- make as if
- malinger
- mask
- masquerade
- mock
- mythic
- mythical
- name
- nonexistent
- notional
- outward
- pageant
- patina
- phantasmagoric
- phantasmagorical
- phantasmal
- phantasmic
- phantom
- pictured
- play
- play the part
- play-act
- playact
- playacting
- pose
- pretence
- pretend
- pretended
- pretense
- pretension
- pretentiousness
- profess
- put on
- representation
- resemblance
- romantic
- seeming
- semblance
- sham
- shape
- shell
- show
- simulate
- simulated
- simulation
- suggestion
- surface
- theoretic
- theoretical
- unbelievable
- unconvincing
- unlikely
- unreal
- veneer
- visionary
- visualized
Antonyms for make believe
- actual
- authentic
- believable
- convincing
- corporeal
- existence
- existent
- existing
- factual
- genuine
- honesty
- live reality
- material
- palpable
- physical
- real
- realistic
- reality
- solid
- substance
- substantial
- tangible
- true
- truth
- unimagined
- verifiable
- verified
Example Sentences
- Children love to use their imagination and make believe they are superheroes or princesses.
- During recess, the kids played a game of make believe where they pretended to explore a magical kingdom.
- The actor's performance was so convincing that it transported the audience into a world of make believe.
- In times of hardship, sometimes it's comforting to escape into a world of make believe through books or movies.
- As adults, we may indulge in a bit of make believe to temporarily forget about our worries and responsibilities.
On this page you'll find 174 synonyms, antonyms, or another words to make believe, such as: Potemkin village, abstract, act, act as if, act as though, acted, actual.
Make sure to choose synonyms and antonyms that are appropriate for the context of the sentence.
Related Words
fabricated
- a bit thick
- abstract
- ad-libbed
- affected
- allegorical
- amplified
- artificial
- assembled
- assumed
- baseless
- began
- beguiled
- bogus
- bouncing
- built
- bum
- came up with
- caricatural
- carpentered
- chimeric
- chimerical
- coined
- combined
- complete
- completed
- conceived
- concocted
- confected
- constituted
- constructed
- contrived
- counterfeit
- cozened
- crafted
- created
- cultivated
- daydreamed
- deceived
- deceptive
- defamed
- deluded
- designed
- devised
- dissembled
- dissimulated
- distorted
- done
- dreamed
- dreamt
- drummed up
- duped
- embroidered
- envisaged
- envisioned
- equivocated
- erected
- ersatz
- established
- exalted
- excessive
- excogitated
- extemporized
- extravagant
- fabled
- fabulous
- factitious
- faked
- fallacious
- false
- falsified
- famed
- fanciful
- fantasized
- fantastic
- fantastical
- farfetched
- fashioned
- fathered
- faux
- fibbed
- fictional
- fictitious
- fooled
- foreswore
- forged
- formed
- forswore
- foundationless
- founded
- framed
- fraudulent
- fudged
- garbled
- generated
- gratuitous
- groundless
- gulled
- hammered
- hammy
- handcrafted
- hatched
- hewed
- highly colored
- histrionic
- histrionical
- hoaxed
- hoodwinked
- hyperbolic
- idle
- illogical
- imaginary
- imagined
- imitation
- impossible
- improvised
- inaugurated
- industrial
- inflated
- initiated
- innovated
- instituted
- invented
- jerry-built
- kidded
- knocked out
- legendary
- libeled
- libelled
- lied
- machined
- made
- made up
- made-up
- magnified
- make believe
- make-believe
- man-made
- manufactured
- mass-produced
- mechanical
- melodramatic
- mendacious
- minted
- misguided
- misinformed
- misleading
- misled
- misreported
- misrepresented
- misstated
- mock
- molded
- mythic
- mythical
- mythologic
- mythological
- nonnatural
- not genuine
- off-base
- organized
- originated
- out of proportion
- overblown
- overdone
- overestimated
- overkill
- overwrought
- paltered
- perjured
- phony
- pictured
- pieced
- plastic
- prefabricated
- prepared
- preposterous
- pretend
- pretended
- pretentious
- prevaricated
- processed
- produced
- pseudo
- put together
- put up
- raised
- reared
- reassembled
- rebuilt
- reconstructed
- redeveloped
- reedified
- refashioned
- refined
- remade
- remanufactured
- reproduction
- retrofit
- retrofitted
- romanticized
- schmaltzy
- semilegendary
- sensational
- set up
- sham
- shaped
- simulated
- slandered
- snowed
- specious
- spectacular
- spurious
- steep
- storied
- strained
- structured
- stylized
- substitute
- synthetic
- tall
- threw up
- too much
- too-too
- took in
- tooled
- traduced
- tricked
- trumped up
- trumped-up
- uncalled-for
- united
- unjustified
- unnatural
- unproven
- unreal
- unrealistic
- unsubstantiated
- untrue
- untruthful
- unwarranted
- vain
- visioned
- visualized
- without basis
- without foundation
fake
- Janus-faced
- Pecksniffian
- act
- actor
- ad-lib
- adulterate
- adulterated
- affect
- affected
- artful
- artificial
- assume
- assumed
- automatic
- backhanded
- bastard
- bluff
- bluffer
- bogus
- brummagem
- bum
- calculated
- camouflage
- campy
- canned
- canting
- charlatan
- cheat
- claptrap
- conceal
- concoct
- concocted
- conscious
- contrive
- contrived
- conventional
- copy
- copycat
- counterfeit
- counterfeiter
- cozener
- crib
- cultivated
- cultured
- cute
- cutesy
- deceitful
- deceiver
- deception
- deceptive
- defrauder
- deke
- deliberate
- delusive
- designer
- devious
- devise
- disguise
- dishonest
- dissemble
- dissembler
- dissimulate
- doctor
- doctored
- dodge
- dodger
- double
- double-dealing
- double-faced
- duffer
- dummy
- duper
- duplicate
- empty
- engineered
- ersatz
- evade
- exaggerated
- extemporize
- fabricate
- fabricated
- fabrication
- facetious
- facile
- facsimile
- factitious
- fake out
- faker
- fakir
- false
- faux
- feign
- feigned
- feigner
- feint
- fictitious
- flimflam
- forced
- forge
- forged
- forgery
- formal
- four-flusher
- fraud
- fraudster
- fraudulent
- fudge
- fudged
- gaff
- genteel
- glib
- gold brick
- goody-goody
- hatch
- histrionic
- hoax
- hoaxer
- hokey
- hollow
- humbug
- hypocritical
- imitate
- imitation
- imitative
- imitator
- impersonal
- impersonate
- impersonator
- imposition
- imposter
- impostor
- imposture
- improvise
- inauthentic
- inflexible
- insincere
- invent
- invented
- jive
- jocular
- juggle
- juggled
- juke
- junque
- knockoff
- labored
- left-handed
- let on
- lip
- make believe
- make up
- malinger
- man-made
- manipulate
- manipulated
- manufacture
- manufactured
- mask
- masquerade
- mealy
- mealymouthed
- meaningless
- mechanical
- melodramatic
- mimic
- mincing
- misleader
- misleading
- mock
- mock-up
- mountebank
- nonfunctioning
- operator
- ornamental
- overacted
- overdone
- overrefined
- pat
- pharisaical
- phoney
- phoney-baloney
- phony
- phony-baloney
- pinchbeck
- pious
- plagiarize
- plant
- plastic
- play
- playact
- pose
- poseur
- premeditated
- pretend
- pretended
- pretender
- pretense
- process
- profess
- pseudo
- pump-fake
- put on
- put on an act
- put-on
- quack
- quacksalver
- queer
- reduplicate
- replica
- replicate
- reproduce
- reproduction
- rigid
- ringer
- sanctimonious
- scam
- scammer
- scamster
- self-righteous
- sham
- sharper
- sharpie
- sharpy
- shoddy
- sidestep
- simon-pure
- simpering
- simulate
- simulated
- simulation
- skinner
- sleight
- slip
- snide
- spoof
- spurious
- stiff
- strained
- studied
- stutter-step
- stylized
- substitute
- superficial
- swindle
- swindler
- synthetic
- theatric
- theatrical
- tongue-in-cheek
- trick
- trickster
- two-faced
- unauthentic
- unctuous
- unnatural
- unreal
- unrealistic
- untruthful
- wooden
fake out
- aberration
- abstain
- act
- affect
- allege
- alteration
- assume
- avert
- baffle
- bamboozle
- bash
- be deceitful
- be first
- be hypocritical
- beat
- beguile
- best
- betray
- better
- bewilder
- bleed
- blow away
- blow out of water
- bluff
- buffalo
- bulldoze
- bunco
- burn
- bury
- bypass
- cap
- catch
- cheat
- chicane
- chisel
- circumlocute
- circumvent
- claim
- claim falsely
- clobber
- cold-shoulder
- con
- confuse
- cook
- counterfeit
- cozen
- cream
- deceive
- defeat
- deflect
- deflection
- defraud
- deke
- delude
- departure
- desist
- detour
- deviation
- diddle
- digression
- dissemble
- dissimulate
- ditch
- divergence
- divert
- do a number on
- do in
- dodge
- double-cross
- down
- duck
- dupe
- eclipse
- elude
- end-run
- escape
- eschew
- euchre
- evade
- exceed
- excel
- fake
- feign
- fend off
- figure out
- finagle
- fish
- flee
- fleece
- flimflam
- fool
- fox
- frame
- fudge
- gaff
- gammon
- give the slip
- go beyond
- go one better
- gull
- have
- have on
- hide
- hoax
- hold off
- hoodwink
- hornswoggle
- humbug
- hustle
- illude
- impersonate
- jazz
- jive
- juggle
- juke
- jump
- keep clear
- kid
- lay claim
- lay low
- lead astray
- lead on
- lead one down the garden path
- lead one up the garden path
- leave behind
- let on
- lick
- lie
- make a fool of
- make a monkey of
- make believe
- make out
- malinger
- masquerade
- misguide
- misinform
- mislead
- mulct
- murphy
- obviate
- outclass
- outdistance
- outdo
- outfox
- outgeneral
- outguess
- outgun
- outjockey
- outmaneuver
- outrival
- outshine
- outsmart
- outstrip
- outthink
- overreach
- overrun
- pass off
- pass oneself off as
- play a trick on
- play games with
- play-act
- pretend
- profess
- psych out
- pull a fast one
- pull a fast one on
- pump-fake
- purport
- put on
- put one over on
- put up a front
- recoil
- red herring
- rook
- run a game on
- run circles around
- run for cover
- scam
- set up
- shake
- shake and bake
- shake off
- sham
- shirk
- shoot ahead
- shortchange
- shrink from
- shuck
- shuffle off
- shun
- shut out
- shy
- sidestep
- simulate
- skin
- skip
- skip out on
- skip town
- skirt
- slip
- snooker
- snow
- spoof
- squeeze
- stay away
- stay out
- steer clear of
- step aside
- stick
- sting
- stonewall
- string along
- stutter-step
- suck in
- sucker
- surpass
- swindle
- take for a ride
- take in
- tease
- top
- total
- transcend
- trash
- trick
- trifle
- turn aside
- turning
- variation
- ward off
- weave
- whitewash
- withdraw
- worst
faked
- Hollywood
- acted
- ad-lib
- ad-libbed
- adulterated
- affected
- alleged
- apish
- apocryphal
- apparent
- artificial
- assumed
- awkward
- bastard
- bent
- bluffed
- bogus
- brummagem
- bum
- camouflaged
- campy
- chichi
- chimerical
- claimed
- clear
- concealed
- conceited
- conceivable
- concocted
- contrived
- cooked-up
- copied
- counterfeit
- counterfeited
- created
- cribbed
- crock
- dashed off
- deceitful
- deceptive
- deked
- delusive
- delusory
- demonstrable
- devised
- disguised
- dishonest
- dissembled
- dissimulated
- distinct
- doctored
- dodged
- dummy
- duplicated
- ersatz
- evaded
- evident
- extemporaneous
- extempore
- extemporized
- external
- fabricated
- factitious
- fake
- faked out
- false
- fanciful
- fantastic
- fantastical
- fashioned
- feigned
- feinted
- fictional
- fictitious
- fictive
- figmental
- fishy
- fixed
- forged
- framed
- fraud
- fraudulent
- fudged
- gone Hollywood
- ham
- hammy
- hatched
- highfalutin
- hokey
- hollow
- hyped-up
- illegitimate
- illusive
- illusory
- imaginary
- imagined
- imitated
- imitation
- imitative
- impersonated
- improv
- improvised
- improviso
- insincere
- invented
- juggled
- juked
- la-di-da
- let on
- likely
- made
- made believe
- made up
- made-up
- make believe
- malingered
- manifest
- manipulated
- mannered
- manufactured
- masked
- masqueraded
- melodramatic
- mimic
- misleading
- mock
- mythical
- not genuine
- not kosher
- obvious
- off the cuff
- offhand
- ostensible
- ostensive
- ostentatious
- outward
- overdone
- pedantic
- phoney
- phonied
- phony
- pirate
- plagiarized
- plain
- plant
- planted
- plastic
- plausible
- playacted
- playacting
- played
- played by ear
- pompous
- posed
- possible
- precious
- presumed
- pretend
- pretended
- pretentious
- prima facie
- probable
- professed
- pseudo
- pump-faked
- purported
- put on
- put-on
- putative
- quasi
- reduplicated
- replicated
- reproduced
- reputed
- romantic
- schmaltzy
- seeming
- self-conscious
- set up
- shallow
- sham
- shammed
- shot from the hip
- sidestepped
- simulated
- slipped
- snide
- so-called
- soft-shell
- specious
- spontaneous
- spur-of-the-moment
- spurious
- stiff
- stilted
- studied
- stutter-stepped
- substitute
- superficial
- supposable
- supposed
- suppositious
- supposititious
- synthetic
- theatrical
- thrown off
- tossed off
- trumped-up
- twee
- two-faced
- unauthentic
- ungenuine
- unnatural
- unpremeditated
- unprepared
- unreal
- unscripted
- unstudied
- vamped
- visible
- whipped up
- winged
- wrong
fakery
- act
- acting
- affectation
- appearance
- artfulness
- artifice
- burlesque
- cageyness
- caginess
- canard
- cant
- caricature
- charade
- cheat
- cheating
- chicane
- chicanery
- claim
- cloak
- counterfeit
- cover-up
- covertness
- cozenage
- craft
- craftiness
- crookedness
- crookery
- cunning
- cunningness
- deceit
- deceitfulness
- deception
- deceptiveness
- deviousness
- disguise
- dishonesty
- display
- dissembling
- dissimulation
- distortion
- double-dealing
- dream
- dumb act
- dupery
- duplicity
- equivocation
- erroneousness
- error
- evasion
- excuse
- fable
- fabrication
- facade
- fairy tale
- fake
- faking
- fallaciousness
- fallacy
- false front
- falsehood
- falseness
- falsification
- falsity
- fantasy
- farce
- feigning
- feint
- fib
- fibbery
- fiction
- figment
- flimflam
- forgery
- foxiness
- fraud
- fraudulence
- furtiveness
- gag
- guile
- guilefulness
- guise
- half-truth
- hanky-panky
- hogwash
- hypocrisy
- hypocriticalness
- imagination
- imitation
- impostor
- imposture
- insincerity
- invention
- jive
- jugglery
- legerdemain
- line
- lying
- make believe
- mask
- masquerade
- mendacity
- misrepresentation
- misstatement
- mockery
- mountebankery
- obliquity
- oiliness
- ostentation
- pageant
- perjury
- pharisaism
- phoniness
- playacting
- posing
- posturing
- pretense
- pretension
- pretentiousness
- pretext
- prevarication
- put on
- routine
- ruse
- sanctimoniousness
- schtick
- secrecy
- sell
- semblance
- shadiness
- sham
- shiftiness
- shrewdness
- shuffling
- simulation
- skulduggery
- skullduggery
- slickness
- slipperiness
- slyness
- smoke
- smoothness
- sneakiness
- snow job
- spoof
- stall
- stealthiness
- story
- stunt
- subterfuge
- swindling
- tale
- tall tale
- travesty
- treacherousness
- trickery
- two-facedness
- underhandedness
- unscrupulousness
- untruism
- untruth
- untruthfulness
- veil
- veneer
- whopper
- wile
- wiliness
- yarn