Cool MateKeeping up appearances vs Pretending
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Keeping up appearances
Pretending
| Keeping up appearances | Pretending | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ˈkiː.pɪŋ ʌp əˈpɪə.rənsɪz//🇺🇸 //ˈkipɪŋ ʌp əˈpɪr.ənsɪz// | 🇬🇧 //prɪˈtɛndɪŋ//🇺🇸 //prɪˈtɛndɪŋ// |
| Meaning | Trying to look good or proper even if it's not true. | Acting as if something is true when it is not. |
| Example | Despite their financial struggles, they continued keeping up appearances at social events. | She is pretending to be a doctor for the school play. |
| Register | Formal | Neutral |
| How common | Beyond 10,000 (less common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| Collocations | keeping up appearances at social functions, keeping up appearances in the workplace, keeping up appearances for the family, struggling to keep up appearances, need to keep up appearances | pretending game, pretending to be, pretending for fun, pretending skills |
| Antonyms | - | revealing, being honest |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'keeping up with appearances' which is incorrect., Used inappropriately in casual speech; better for formal discussions., Misunderstood as only about clothing, rather than overall behavior. | Confused with 'pretend' - 'pretend' is the base form, 'pretending' is the gerund., Using 'pretending' incorrectly with verbs - it should function as an action or description. |
| Usage notes | This idiom is often used in formal contexts when discussing social expectations. It may be less appropriate in casual situations or among close friends. | Used in both casual and formal contexts, but can imply deceit in negative situations. Avoid in serious discussions. |
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Frequently asked questions: Keeping up appearances vs Pretending
What's the difference between Keeping up appearances and Pretending?
Keeping up appearances: Trying to look good or proper even if it's not true. Pretending: Acting as if something is true when it is not.
Which is more formal: Keeping up appearances and Pretending?
Keeping up appearances is the most formal of these.
Which is more common: Keeping up appearances and Pretending?
Pretending is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Keeping up appearances: Despite their financial struggles, they continued keeping up appearances at social events. Pretending: She is pretending to be a doctor for the school play.
Can I use Keeping up appearances and Pretending interchangeably?
Not always. Keeping up appearances and Pretending are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.