costume
noun
, -ˌstyüm also -stəm or ˈkäs-ˌchüm
\
Definition of costume
(Entry 1 of 3)
costume
verb
, -ˈstyüm also käs-ˈchüm; or ˈkä-ˌst(y)üm or ˈkäs-ˌchüm
or -stəm
\
Definition of costume (Entry 2 of 3)
costume
adjective
, -ˌstyüm also -stəm or ˈkäs-ˌchüm\
Definition of costume (Entry 3 of 3)
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms & Antonyms for costume
Synonyms: Noun
drag, dress, garb, getup, guise, outfit, togs
Synonyms: Verb
apparel, array, attire, bedeck, caparison, clothe, deck (out), do up, dress, dress up, enrobe, garb, garment, get up, gown, habit, invest, rig (out), robe, suit, tog (up or out), toilet, vesture
Antonyms: Verb
disarray, disrobe, strip, unclothe, undress, untruss [archaic]
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of costume in a Sentence
Noun
children in their Halloween costumes a formal 18th-century Japanese costumeVerb
the days when people, costumed in their Sunday best, would parade along the grand avenue on EasterAdjective
You're invited to a costume party!
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Their work, which includes sets and costumes, mixes the past, present and future, along with the utopian and dystopian, to create mythologies across time that are often exaggerated to the absurd. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Lux unveils 13th residency season with a focus on inclusivity," 12 July 2019 Simple additions of clothing signal that a performer has returned as someone else (costumes by Wendell C. Carmichael). — Daryl H. Miller, latimes.com, "Review: Small theaters think big with ‘Ragtime’ at the Chance and ‘The Producers’ at Celebration," 11 July 2019 Presented for the second time by host Nick Cannon, the show will see each celebrity participant dressed from head to toe in all-new costumes, as seen in two new teaser videos for the upcoming season. — Jen Juneau, PEOPLE.com, "The Masked Singer Shares New Teasers (and Costumes!) for Season 2 — Here's When It Premieres," 10 July 2019 This time, Sethward didn't wait another season, returning in a walrus costume, jumping on a beach ball and falling on his head and eventually off the stage. — Bill Keveney, USA TODAY, "'AGT': A six-pack of memorably weird acts from Season 14 auditions," 8 July 2019 The show won’t have any trouble selling out, because this ensemble knows what audiences want: song parodies, cheesy costumes, beautiful wilderness photos, frequent jabs at Alaskan weirdness and, of course, that snotty political humor. — Donna Freedman, Anchorage Daily News, "‘Whale Fat Follies’ launches final run with a hint of wistfulness and signature raucous humor," 28 June 2019 Saturday's party features Kiss tribute band Kiss Resurrection starting at 10 p.m. The show comes complete with costumes, makeup, blood, fire, smoke and more. — Chris Sims, Indianapolis Star, "William Shatner, WWE's Kurt Angle and AEW's Dustin Rhodes headline Days of the Dead 2019," 25 June 2019 The Coney Island Mermaid Parade, a colorful spectacle of participants in zany aquatic costumes, ushered in the New York summer for the 37th time. — Doug Duran, The Mercury News, "Photos: Coney Island Mermaid Parade," 22 June 2019 The lineup includes doggy contests (costume, longest tail feather, bone toss), games for the two-leggers (volleyball, corn hole) and a photo booth. — Tatia Woldt, Dallas News, "Dog About Town: Take your pooch to a birthday party this weekend," 21 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Laurence Connor’s direction and Bob Avian’s musical staging incorporate dazzling, outsized ensemble scenes both in Saigon and its more somber, postwar incarnation of Ho Chi Minh City, with Andreane Neofitou’s costumes an eye-catching highlight. — James Hebert, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: A pair of powerful performances help redeem sprawling, uneasy spectacle of ‘Miss Saigon’," 11 July 2019 Mackie, an icon in costuming, kept his acceptance speech brief. — Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, "'Hadestown' and 'Ferryman' are the winners of 2019 Tony Awards," 9 June 2019 The costuming only took a half hour to put on, but to get that full face-and-crown situation happening, as well as the hands, took foreeeeever apparently. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Who Is Vladimír Furdík, the Actor Behind 'Game of Thrones' Villain the Night King?," 1 May 2019 Earlier this winter, Plachetka was Mozart’s Figaro at the Met, while Malfi was costumed as a boy for Cherubino. — Larry Wolff, The New York Review of Books, "‘Così’ in Coney," 27 Mar. 2018 Bio: Jacob Hexa is a 22-year-old, non-binary, gay, multi-artist specializing in makeup, sculpture, and costuming who is currently pursuing a degree geared toward their passion in costume design. — Angela Watercutter And Samantha Cooper, WIRED, "5 Queer People on How They Found Their Chosen Families," 28 June 2019 Even the shows that do costume their casts with designer pieces generally prefer to do so with bold logos or an outfit that screams STYLE! — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "Schitt’s Creek Is Giving the Gift of Fashion This Holiday Season—and All 2019 Long," 20 Dec. 2018 The film, with Teresa Stratas and Placido Domingo in the lead roles, found near-unanimous critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic — a rarity for Zeffirelli — and received Oscar nominations for costuming, scenography and artistic direction. — Colleen Barry, chicagotribune.com, "Famed Italian director Franco Zeffirelli dies at age 96," 15 June 2019 Kruger has 10 years of experience as a cosplayer with specialization in leather working, while Helum brings experience in theater and movie costuming with a specialization in sewing. — Sarah Espedido, orlandosentinel.com, "MegaCon costume repair center offers a place to fix cosplay," 12 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Gabriela Tylesova’s gaudy big top scenic and costume design is impressive, particularly a horseless carriage, carousel horses and some spinning illuminated glass pyramids. — Pam Kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "'Love Never Dies' looks great, but less filling," 29 Mar. 2018 In my opinion, a person can never be too prepared for the holiday — there’s candy to buy, costume ideas to brainstorm, spooktacular porch decor to plan, and delightfully campy movies to watch. — Elissa Sanci, Woman's Day, "Everything You Need to Know About Freeform's '31 Nights of Halloween'," 19 June 2019 Catherine left her stylish imprint on interiors, too, and even costume design. — Penelope Rowlands, ELLE Decor, "Designer Alessandra Branca's New Private Client Atelier by the Seine," 15 Mar. 2019 If red, white, and blue feels too costume-y for your style, try an all-denim look instead. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "7 Fourth of July Outfits You'll Want to Wear All Summer Long," 15 June 2018 The same goes for any costumes that reference immigration issues — other people's real struggles are not costume fodder. — Marci Robin, Good Housekeeping, "15 Offensive Halloween Costumes You Should Never Wear," 1 Aug. 2018 Antonio Banderas puts the finishing touches on his portrait of Picasso in the season finale of this costume drama, which changes subjects (and stars) season to season. — Gabe Cohn, New York Times, "What’s on TV Tuesday: James Corden in Britain and ‘Hannah Gadsby: Nanette’," 19 June 2018 Jessica Pushor, costume collections manager, displayed a pair of velvet rhinestone pumps (circa 1905) from the archives that were once worn by the second Mrs. Marshall Field, Delia. — Candace Jordan, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago History Museum's Costume Council luncheon honors shoe designer Brian Atwood," 13 June 2018 Others involved with the production are Lisa Friedrichs (musical director), Clifford Harrison (lighting and sound design), Mariah Salvadori (assistant student director), Kiley Velasquez (stage manager) and Ryan Connolly (costume assistant). — Elizabeth Marie Himchak, Pomerado News, "'Mary Poppins' opens at Rancho Bernardo High next week," 18 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'costume.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for costume
costume
noun
English Language Learners Definition of costume
(Entry 1 of 2)
costume
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of costume (Entry 2 of 2)
See the full definition for costume in the English Language Learners Dictionary
costume
noun
, -ˌtyüm\
Kids Definition of costume
(Entry 1 of 2)
costume
verbKids Definition of costume (Entry 2 of 2)
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on costume
What made you want to look up costume? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Farm Idioms Quiz
-
- What does 'poke' refer to in the expression 'pig in a poke'?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
-
Farm Idioms Quiz
Not your children's farm quiz.
Take the quiz -
Up in the Sky: A Quiz
It's a bird? It's a plane? No, I'm really asking. What is it?
Take the quiz -
Name That Thing
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
Take the quiz -
Add Diction
Build a chain of words by adding one letter at a time.
Play the game
Share costume
Resources for costume