masquerade

¹mas·quer·ade

noun \ˌmas-kə-ˈrād\

Definition of MASQUERADE

1

a : a social gathering of persons wearing masks and often fantastic costumes

b : a costume for wear at such a gathering

2

: an action or appearance that is mere disguise or show

Examples of MASQUERADE

1. She could not keep up the masquerade any longer.
2. <although she was deeply bored, she maintained a masquerade of polite interest as her guest droned on>

Origin of MASQUERADE

Middle French, from Old Italian dialect mascarada, from Old Italian maschera mask

First Known Use: 1587

Related to MASQUERADE

Synonyms

act, airs, charade, disguise, facade (also façade), front, guise, playacting, pose, pretense (or pretence), put-on, semblance, show

Related Words

impersonation, performance, portrayal; image, persona; appearance, color, gloss; camouflage, cloak; affectation, deceit, deception, dissembling, dissimulation, double-dealing, duplicity, fakery, fraud, guile; betrayal, double cross, faithlessness, falseness, falsity, infidelity, perfidy, treachery, treason, unfaithfulness; excuse, pretext

Near Antonyms

bluntness, candidness, candor, directness, forthrightness, frankness, openheartedness, outspokenness, plainspokenness, sincerity, straightforwardness; artlessness, genuineness, naïveté (also naivete or naiveté)

Rhymes with MASQUERADE

accolade, Adelaide, ambuscade, aquacade, balustrade, barricade, cable-laid, cannonade, carronade, cavalcade, centigrade, chambermaid, chiffonade, colonnade, countertrade, custom-made, dairymaid, defilade, enfilade, escalade, escapade, esplanade, everglade, foreign aid, fusillade, gallopade, gasconade, grant-in-aid, hawser-laid, hearing aid, intergrade, legal aid, lemonade, marinade, marmalade, meter maid, motorcade, orangeade, orthograde, overtrade, palisade, panty raid, pasquinade, plantigrade, promenade, ready-made, renegade, retrograde, serenade, stock-in-trade, tailor-made, underlaid, visual aid

²masquerade

intransitive verb

masquerad·edmasquerad·ing

Definition of MASQUERADE

1

a : to disguise oneself; also : to go about disguised

b : to take part in a masquerade

2

: to assume the appearance of something one is not

— mas·quer·ad·er noun

Examples of MASQUERADE

1. He was masquerading under a false name.

First Known Use of MASQUERADE

1677