Ridiculous pretence (7)
I believe the answer is:
charade
'ridiculous pretence' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for charade that I've seen before include "sham" , "Acted riddle - pretence" , "Absurd pretence to create a good impression" , "Total pretence (as in game)" , "Pretence; parlour game" .)