英和和英

動詞

make believe (third-person singular simple present makes believe, present participle making believe, simple past and past participle made believe)

1. (idiomatic, childish) To pretend or imagine.

   Let's make believe that we are explorers.

   • 1927, Oscar Hammerstein II, Show Boat:

     Only make believe I love you, / Only make believe that you love me. / Others find peace of mind in pretending, / Couldn’t you? / Couldn’t I? / Couldn’t we? / Make believe our lips are blending / In a phantom kiss, or two, or three. / Might as well make believe I love you, / For to tell the truth I do.

名詞

make believe (countable and uncountable, plural make believes)

1. Alternative form of make-believe

形容詞

make believe (comparative more make believe, superlative most make believe)

1. imaginary; conjured in someone's imagination, especially that of a child

語源

Deverbal from make believe.

発音

• IPA: /ˈmeɪk bəˌliːv/, /ˌmeɪk bəˈliːv/

名詞

make-believe (countable and uncountable, plural make-believes) (sometimes childish)

1. (uncountable) The quality or act of pretending; acting as if something is true when in fact one knows it is not.
   • 1985, “The Lady Don't Mind”, in Little Creatures, performed by Talking Heads:

     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

2. (uncountable) The condition of pretending or imagining that things are better than they really are.
3. (countable) Something imaginary.
   • 1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle:

     ‘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!’

形容詞

make-believe

1. Imaginary; not real; pretend.

   He called himself Lord So-and-So, even had his family crest on the wall, but it was all totally make-believe.