All 12 Uses
pretense
in
Hard Times
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- Body number four, under dreary pretences of being droll (when it was very melancholy indeed), made the shallowest pretences of concealing pitfalls of knowledge, into which it was the duty of these babies to be smuggled and inveigled.†
Chpt 1.8unconventional spelling: This is the British spelling. Americans spell it pretenses.
- Body number four, under dreary pretences of being droll (when it was very melancholy indeed), made the shallowest pretences of concealing pitfalls of knowledge, into which it was the duty of these babies to be smuggled and inveigled.†
Chpt 1.8
- As this was his usual hour for having a little confidential chat with Mrs. Sparsit, and as he had already caught her eye and seen that she was going to ask him something, he made a pretence of arranging the rulers, inkstands, and so forth, while that lady went on with her tea, glancing through the open window, down into the street.†
Chpt 2.1unconventional spelling: This is a British spelling. Americans use pretense.
- Bounderby,' he returned, laughing, 'upon my honour, no. I will make no such pretence to you.†
Chpt 2.2
- Bounderby, no: you know I make no pretence with you.†
Chpt 2.7
- 'If you had asked me when I first came here, I should have said no. I must say now — even at the hazard of appearing to make a pretence, and of justly awakening your incredulity — yes.'†
Chpt 2.7
- I never made a pretence to him or you that I loved him.
Chpt 2.12 *pretence = pretending actunconventional spelling: This is a British spelling. Americans use pretense.
- Father, chance then threw into my way a new acquaintance; a man such as I had had no experience of; used to the world; light, polished, easy; making no pretences; avowing the low estimate of everything, that I was half afraid to form in secret; conveying to me almost immediately, though I don't know how or by what degrees, that he understood me, and read my thoughts.†
Chpt 2.12unconventional spelling: This is the British spelling. Americans spell it pretenses.
- Louisa understood the loving pretence, and her heart smote her.†
Chpt 3.1unconventional spelling: This is a British spelling. Americans use pretense.
- 'I am not a moral sort of fellow,' he said, 'and I never make any pretensions to the character of a moral sort of fellow.†
Chpt 3.2pretensions = appearances or actions to help one pretend
- If she had asserted any influence over him beyond her plain faith in the truth and right of what she said; if she had concealed the least doubt or irresolution, or had harboured for the best purpose any reserve or pretence; if she had shown, or felt, the lightest trace of any sensitiveness to his ridicule or his astonishment, or any remonstrance he might offer; he would have carried it against her at this point.†
Chpt 3.2unconventional spelling: This is a British spelling. Americans use pretense.
- Had he any prescience of the day, five years to come, when Josiah Bounderby of Coketown was to die of a fit in the Coketown street, and this same precious will was to begin its long career of quibble, plunder, false pretences, vile example, little service and much law?†
Chpt 3.9unconventional spelling: This is the British spelling. Americans spell it pretenses.
Definitions:
-
(1)
(pretense) a false appearance or action to help one pretendThis is sometimes seen in the expression "false pretense" or "false pretenses" which is just emphasizing that behavior or actions do not reflect the true situation.
- (2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)