Synonyms of guise

guise

noun

ˈgīz 

1

as in pretense

a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive

he allowed himself to dine at fine restaurants all over the world under the guise of research for his book on international cuisine

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pretense
• facade
• show
• act
• pose
• disguise
• masquerade
• semblance
• airs
• charade
• front
• cloak
• pretext
• performance
• appearance
• playacting
• persona
• portrayal
• impersonation
• put-on
• image
• deception
• camouflage
• excuse
• duplicity
• affectation
• betrayal
• gloss
• deceit
• fraud
• treason
• dissimulation
• treachery
• perfidy
• guile
• color
• falseness
• fakery
• dissembling
• double cross
• infidelity
• faithlessness
• falsity
• double-dealing
• unfaithfulness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sincerity
• frankness
• directness
• candor
• forthrightness
• straightforwardness
• bluntness
• outspokenness
• candidness
• naïveté
• genuineness
• artlessness
• plainspokenness
• openheartedness

2

as in costume

clothing chosen as appropriate for a specific situation

she felt as though she should be wearing some sort of Germanic guise, complete with dirndl, for the fall festival featuring traditional German food and drink

Synonyms & Similar Words

• costume
• garb
• clothes
• attire
• dress
• outfit
• getup
• togs
• apparel
• style
• mode
• drag
• raiment
• duds
• habiliment(s)
• fashion
• vestments
• array
• caparison

3

as in mask

clothing put on to hide one's true identity or imitate someone or something else

he sneaked into the castle to rescue Ivanhoe in the guise of a priest coming to give Ivanhoe his last rites

Synonyms & Similar Words

• costume
• mask
• camouflage
• disguise
• veil
• paint
• visor
• dress
• coloring
• rig
• vizard
• costumery
• cosmetic
• domino
• makeup
• outfit
• getup

4

as in appearance

outward and often deceptive indication

hazing rituals may have the guise of harmless fun, but often the reality is serious physical abuse

Synonyms & Similar Words

• appearance
• face
• impression
• effect
• semblance
• name
• seeming
• show
• first blush
• pretense
• outward
• implication
• cloak
• likeness
• resemblance
• air
• suggestion
• display
• surface
• imitation
• hint
• representation
• fiction
• mask
• demonstration
• facade
• image
• disguise
• simulation
• pose
• affectation
• masquerade
• insinuation
• front
• exterior
• veneer
• shape
• shell
• make-believe
• gloss
• imposture
• patina
• Potemkin village

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of guise

But unlike Backrooms, SCP Foundation has always been more centralized to this one website, and every subsequent SCP Foundation work has always fallen under the guise of the Creative Commons license, something the Backrooms creepypasta never did. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026

As critics such as Antonio Candido have remarked, regionalism was at bottom an attempt to render Latin American reality in its dominant rural guise. — Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026

Throughout the weekend, Dudamel embraced the worlds of Hollywood, Latin music in many guises and old-fashioned rock. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

With their traditional, legacy rivals — the Manchester clubs, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur — in various guises of transition, Arsenal are suddenly the team to beat and the Emirates is suddenly a library of sound; noise please. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026