Looking for synonyms for make-believe? We’ve got you covered!
Here’s a list of other ways to say make-believe.
- Pretend
- Imaginary
- Fictional
- Fanciful
- Fantasy
- Fabricated
- Unreal
- Simulated
- Artificial
- Illusory
- Make-belief
- Play-acting
- Fictitious
- Invented
- Fancied
- Feigned
- Created
- Concocted
- Counterfeit
- Dreamed-up
Want to learn how to say make-believe professionally? Keep reading for examples and use cases.
1. Pretend
Appropriate Use: Used when acting as if something is true when it is not, often in a playful manner.
Example: “The children engaged in pretend play, acting as astronauts exploring space.”
2. Imaginary
Appropriate Use: Suitable for something existing only in the imagination and not in reality.
Example: “She created an imaginary world filled with mythical creatures for her novel.”
3. Fictional
Appropriate Use: Used for narratives or characters that are invented rather than true.
Example: “The film is set in a fictional town that resembles the director’s hometown.”
4. Fanciful
Appropriate Use: Appropriate for ideas or suggestions that are imaginative and unrealistic.
Example: “His proposal was dismissed as too fanciful for the practical challenges at hand.”
5. Fantasy
Appropriate Use: Suitable for a genre of imaginative fiction involving magical and unreal elements.
Example: “The game is set in a fantasy world where players can cast spells and fight dragons.”
6. Fabricated
Appropriate Use: Used when something is invented or concocted to deceive.
Example: “The report was found to be fabricated, containing numerous false claims.”
7. Unreal
Appropriate Use: Appropriate for something that is so strange or surprising it seems like a fantasy.
Example: “The virtual reality experience was so lifelike, it felt almost unreal.”
8. Simulated
Appropriate Use: Suitable for something made to imitate something else, usually for training or testing.
Example: “Pilots train in simulated flight conditions before flying an actual airplane.”
9. Artificial
Appropriate Use: Used for something made or produced to imitate something natural.
Example: “The movie used artificial intelligence to create lifelike characters.”
10. Illusory
Appropriate Use: Appropriate for something that is not real and is only an illusion.
Example: “The startup’s success was illusory, propped up by inflated market trends.”
11. Make-belief
Appropriate Use: Similar to ‘make-believe’, used for something imaginary or pretended.
Example: “The make-belief scenario in the training session helped employees develop problem-solving skills.”
12. Play-acting
Appropriate Use: Suitable for pretending or acting in a theatrical manner.
Example: “During the team-building exercise, they engaged in play-acting to enhance communication skills.”
13. Fictitious
Appropriate Use: Used for something that is invented or untrue, often in literature or media.
Example: “The book tells the story of a fictitious emperor who never existed.”
14. Invented
Appropriate Use: Appropriate for something created or designed that did not previously exist.
Example: “The device in the story was an invented gadget with extraordinary capabilities.”
15. Fancied
Appropriate Use: Suitable for something formed or imagined in a creative or whimsical way.
Example: “His fancied idea of a perfect city included flying cars and automated buildings.”
16. Feigned
Appropriate Use: Used when something is simulated or pretended, often to deceive.
Example: “Her feigned ignorance of the situation was a tactic to avoid responsibility.”
17. Created
Appropriate Use: Appropriate for something that has been brought into existence.
Example: “The artist created a new style that blended reality with make-believe elements.”
18. Concocted
Appropriate Use: Suitable for something invented or put together, often in a clever or deceptive way.
Example: “The writer concocted a complex plot that intertwined real events with fiction.”
19. Counterfeit
Appropriate Use: Used for something made to imitate something else, usually to deceive.
Example: “The counterfeit artwork was so well done, it fooled many experts.”
20. Dreamed-up
Appropriate Use: Appropriate for something imagined or conceived in the mind.
Example: “His business plan was a dreamed-up vision of what he hoped to achieve in five years.”
