frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

pretended adj. so-called, alleged, asserted, reputed, professed,
ostensible, purported, so-called, imaginary, make-believe,
fictitious, fictional, sham, false, fake, feigned, bogus,
counterfeit, spurious, Colloq phoney or US also phony, pseudo,
pretend: So this is the pretended hero of yesterday's battle!
pretender n. claimant, aspirant, candidate, suitor, rival, seeker: He
was the pretender to the Scottish throne.
pretension
n. 1 Often, pretensions. claim(s), pretence(s), aspiration(s),
ambitiousness, ambition(s): He is known to have pretensions to
the chancellorship. 2 pretext, pretence, pretentiousness,
ostentation, pretending, affectation, hypocrisy: Gladys has
behaved without pretension and with great sincerity.
pretentious
adj. 1 ostentatious, showy, superficial, pompous, arrogant,
bombastic, inflated, high-flown, exaggerated, vainglorious,
fastuous, grandiose, grandiloquent, extravagant, magniloquent:
The minister's pretentious language is a bit too much to take.
2 snobbish, lofty, haughty, flaunting, Colloq high and mighty,
highfalutin or hifalutin, hoity-toity, high-hat, Slang snotty,
Brit toffee-nosed: That new couple next door are so pretentious
- they think that nobody is good enough to associate with them!
pretext n. 1 pretence, excuse, camouflage, guise, disguise, cover,
veil, cloak, colour: They carried on the surveillance under
pretext of working on the sewer. 2 ruse, red herring, cover
(story), rationale, pretence, rationalization, explanation:
What pretext did the thief use that made you let him in?
pretty adj. 1 comely, attractive, good-looking, nice-looking,
appealing, lovely, cute, mignon(ne), graceful, fair, bonny,
fetching, charming, winsome, beautiful, pulchritudinous, Colloq
easy on the eye(s): A pretty girl is like a melody. That's a
very pretty cottage. 2 tuneful, melodic, melodious, dulcet,
musical, lyrical, harmonious, catchy, mellifluous, euphonious:
He played a pretty tune on the piano.
--adv. 3 rather, quite, fairly, moderately, reasonably,
tolerably; somewhat; very, extremely, unbelievably, incredibly:
The children put on a pretty good performance, I thought. He had