feignent

Feignent is the third person plural present indicative form of the French verb feindre, meaning to feign, pretend, or simulate. The verb feindre is irregular and belongs to the -indre family, with present tense forms: je feins, tu feins, il feint, nous feignons, vous feignez, ils feignent. The past participle is feint, used with auxiliary avoir in compound tenses; agreement with a preceding direct object may occur in those constructions.

Etymology and related forms: feindre comes from Old French feindre, which itself derives from Latin fingere, meaning to shape, invent, or pretend. The English cognate feint shares the same root, and the word feintage or feigning has historical parallels in many Romance languages.

Usage and nuances: feindre denotes deliberate or conscious deception, often of feelings, intentions, or states. It can be used for both emotional and practical pretense. Common constructions include feindre de + infinitive (to pretend to [do something]) and feindre que + clause in formal or literary contexts (to pretend that). Examples: Ils feignent l’indifférence. Elle feint d’être surprise. The form feignent appears in narrative or descriptive prose when describing multiple subjects performing the act of pretending.

Context and style: feindre is more common in literary, journalistic, or formal writing than in everyday speech, where synonyms like prétendre or simuler may be used. It conveys a sense of intentional manipulation or artifice, aligning with nuanced discussions of motives, performance, or deception.