Daughter's into grooming over time, keeping up appearances

Usage examples of pretending.

Still an actress, she pressed her handkerchief to her eyes, pretending to weep, and assuring me that I was not to doubt the truth of what she said.

Out of breath, I threw myself on a sofa, pretending to go to sleep, and the moment I began to snore everybody respected the slumbers of Pierrot.

They proceeded to sit down and I began to take off their shoes, praising the beauty of their legs, and pretending for the present not to want to go farther than the knee.

I remain silent, pretending to gaze at the scenery, but in reality thinking of her, for she began to inspire me with a lively interest.

I was greatly surprised to see the impostor Ivanoff, who instead of pretending not to know me, as he ought to have done, came forward to embrace me.

A certain painter met with great success for some time by announcing a thing which was an impossibility--namely, by pretending that he could take a portrait of a person without seeing the individual, and only from the description given.

Of course they could not help believing me, or at least pretending to do so.

Zanovitch did not wait to be spoken to, but made himself agreeable to everyone, and congratulated himself on mixing in such distinguished company, talked about Naples which he had just left, brought in his own name with great adroitness, played high, lost merrily, paid after pretending to forget all about his debts, and in short pleased everyone.

I followed exactly the instructions she had given me, and for six mortal hours I remained alone, pretending to write.

Therefore, pretending to be very hungry, I gave her the opportunity of speaking and of informing me by hints of what I had to know, in order not to make blunders.

I made haste to meet them on the stair, and welcomed them, saying I was glad they had done me the honour to come and take breakfast with me, pretending not to know of any other reason.

To give my prophecy authority, I told her some curious circumstances which had hitherto happened to her, and which I had learnt now and again from herself or Madame Morin without pretending to heed what they said.

At last, tired out with the struggle, she left me pretending to be perfectly satisfied with what she had done.

She remained at Bologna six weeks longer, pretending to be still suffering from the effects of her confinement.

Soradaci observed his oath, pretending to sleep, and Lawrence said nothing to him.