MAKE-BELIEVE Definition & Meaning

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make-believe

[ meyk-bi-leev ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

pretense, especially of an innocent or playful kind; playacting; fantasy:
the make-believe of children playing.
a pretender; a person who pretends.

pretended; feigned; imaginary; made-up; unreal:
a make-believe world of fantasy.

make believe

1. a fantasy, pretence, or unreality
2. ( as modifier )
  a make-believe world
a person who pretends

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First recorded in 1805–15

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Pretend, as in Let's make believe we're elves . This expression in effect means making oneself believe in an illusion. [Early 1700s]

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Examples have not been reviewed.

You reserved your best make-believe version of yourself for the times you were in our house.

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She writes: “It was a dream, going from high school to this incredible universe where I got to play make-believe all day long.”

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He is a make-believe tough guy, built out of special effects and the comedic acting skills of Bruce Willis.

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Or to get mad about "cancel culture" or make-believe slights from liberals.

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Their mothers were friends and colleagues who raised both boys in the theater world, which encourages play and make-believe.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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