Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

make-believe

/ˈmeɪk bəˌliːv/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.41 in modern English

Syllables: make--be-lieve
IPA: /ˈmeɪk bəˌliːv/

22

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The quality or act of pretending; acting as if something is true when in fact one knows it is not.

Uncountable

noun

The condition of pretending or imagining that things are better than they really are.

Uncountable

noun

Something imaginary.

Countable

adj

Imaginary; not real; pretend.

Example Sentences

"Come on, come on, I go up and down / I like this curious feeling / I know, I see, it's like make believe / Cover your ears so you can hear what I'm saying"
"‘You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Marjorie Lindon, to even think such nonsense. Are you all nerves and morbid imaginings,—you who have prided yourself on being so strong-minded! A pretty sort you are to do battle for anyone.—Why, they’re only make-believes!’"
"He called himself Lord So-and-So, even had his family crest on the wall, but it was all totally make-believe."

Etymology

Deverbal from make believe.

Usage

Inflected Forms

make-believes (plural) makebelieve (alternative) make believe (alternative)

Synonyms

pretend pretense pretence

Questions

How do you pronounce make-believe?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmeɪk bəˌliːv/.
What does make-believe mean?: The quality or act of pretending; acting as if something is true when in fact one knows it is not.
Where does make-believe come from?: Deverbal from make believe.

How to pronounce make-believe

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “make-believe”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈmeɪk bəˌliːv/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “make-believe”.
Repeat and practice — Say “make-believe” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.