pretender
/pɾetenˈdeɾ/ · A2 · verb
to intend, to aim
🎯 Latin prae + tendere: to stretch forward, so to aim at or reach for
Pretender is to stretch toward a goal: intend it, aim for it, or court someone. A false friend of English pretend, which kept only the put-forward-a-claim sense. To fake something in Spanish is fingir; a pretendiente is a suitor.