disguise

dis·guise | \ də-ˈskīz

How to pronounce disguise (audio)

, dis-ˈgīz also diz- \

disguised; disguising

Definition of disguise

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to change the customary dress (see dress entry 2 sense 1) or appearance of disguised herself in a wig and glasses

b : to furnish with a false appearance or an assumed (see assume sense 3) identity disguised as a beggar

2 obsolete : disfigure

3 : to obscure the existence or true state or character of : conceal unable to disguise his true feelings

disguise

Definition of disguise (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : apparel assumed to conceal one's identity or counterfeit another's The bank robber was wearing a disguise.

2 : the act of disguising

3a : form misrepresenting the true nature of something blessings in disguise

b : an artificial manner : pretense threw off all disguise

Other Words from disguise Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about disguise

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Choose the Right Synonym for disguise

Verb

disguise, cloak, mask mean to alter the dress or appearance of so as to conceal the identity or true nature. disguise implies a change in appearance or behavior that misleads by presenting a different apparent identity. disguised herself as a peasant cloak suggests a means of hiding a movement or an intention. cloaked their maneuvers in secrecy mask suggests some often obvious means of hiding or disguising something. smiling to mask his discontent

Examples of disguise in a Sentence

Verb He tried to disguise his voice on the phone but I could tell it was him. She disguised herself in a wig and glasses. We disguised the fact that we were disappointed. Noun He wore a disguise of glasses, a fake mustache, and a cap. The famous thief is known to be a master of disguise.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb In a series of tweets on Tuesday, Halper suggested that Supreme Court justice nominee and Metairie native Amy Coney Barrett has affected an East Coast manner of speech, presumably to disguise her native accent. — Doug Maccash | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, "Has Amy Coney Barrett culturally appropriated a New York accent? Or is it pure Metairie?," 14 Oct. 2020 The new 2020 set features 117 emojis in total such as a face wearing the Groucho glasses disguise, that Italian hand gesture with the pinched fingers, and finally, a cockroach. — Priscilla Totiyapungprasert, The Arizona Republic, "Bubble tea, tamale and fondue: Here are all the new food emojis coming to iPhones soon," 1 Oct. 2020 The agreement accuses the late Mr. Creighton of catering primarily to American customers in violation of U.S. law and taking steps to hide his activities, such as using aliases and shell companies to disguise his ownership of the company. — Katherine Sayre And Byron Tau, WSJ, "Offshore Online Gambling Site Seeks to Become Legal U.S. Operator," 30 Sep. 2020 Trump’s team has tried to paint Biden as an empty suit trying to disguise the threat of socialism. — Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, "Scranton versus Park Avenue," 29 Sep. 2020 If your child is getting the majority of their veg from spuds but is not so fond of other veggies, disguise them inside their current go-to. — Karla Walsh, Good Housekeeping, "7 Sneaky Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies," 23 Sep. 2020 Accompanied by two pro-democracy lawmakers and a prominent local activist, the relatives donned windbreakers with the hoods pulled over their head, sunglasses, surgical masks and hats to disguise their identities. — Shibani Mahtani, Washington Post, "Hong Kongers who fled by sea are held without legal access in China, families say," 14 Sep. 2020 Con artists often use link shorteners, such as Bit.ly or Goo.gl, to disguise scam links. — Sarah Brookbank, The Enquirer, "New scam seems to shares a Google Photo album with you to get account information," 11 Sep. 2020 Yifei Liu stars as a fearless young woman who decides to disguise herself as a man to fight in place of her father. — Lisa Respers France, CNN, "What Chadwick Boseman taught us about humanity -- and how we can honor his legacy," 3 Sep. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The prospect of Mulan (Fenghuang Nu) cross-dressing to serve the country drew giggles from her younger sister (Chan Ho-kau), who later even playfully flirted with Mulan upon seeing her handsome disguise. — Martin Tsai, Washington Post, "The live-action ‘Mulan’ is not the first retelling of the legend. Or the second. Or the sixth.," 4 Sep. 2020 The Masked Singer is here with the same judges and a whole new set of celebrities in disguise. — Katie Bourque, Good Housekeeping, "Who Are the Snow Owls on 'The Masked Singer?' Fans Are Certain They've Figured It Out," 23 Sep. 2020 Manager Jayce Tingler called Myers’ offensive-180 a product of offseason self-reflection — a sort of bruising blessing in disguise. — Bryce Miller Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Myers’ ‘MVP-type season’ vital cog in Padres’ sprint to playoffs," 22 Sep. 2020 But the former heavy-metal loving wrestler eventually realized that the entire ordeal was actually a blessing in disguise. — Dalton Ross, EW.com, "Survivor Quarantine Questionnaire: Billy Garcia was lit on fire during a Cook Islands challenge," 21 Sep. 2020 The city is in disguise, shell-shocked and uncertain. — Brian T. Allen, National Review, "Manhattan’s MoMA, Welcoming Once Again, Seven Days a Week," 16 Sep. 2020 Council kept pushing, even through that injury early in 2018 — which proved to be a blessing in disguise, as he was granted an additional year of eligibility after already redshirting as a true freshman in 2016. — Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, "Versatile transfer lineman Brandon Council ‘feels like he has something to prove’ at Auburn," 26 Aug. 2020 His stay in the infirmary, however, turned out to be a blessing in disguise: Officers soon evacuated the camp, forcing anyone who was deemed healthy to walk in a death march. — Daniel Politi, New York Times, "David Galante, Who Spoke Belatedly About Auschwitz, Dies at 96," 25 Aug. 2020 How much of a blessing in disguise could the McCoy injury be in terms of available experience now for younger defensive linemen? — Dallas News, "Stephen Jones talks expectations for Cowboys DE Aldon Smith, development of DT Trysten Hill," 25 Aug. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disguise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

21 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Disguise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disguise. Accessed 29 Oct. 2020.

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More Definitions for disguise

disguise

verb

English Language Learners Definition of disguise

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to change the usual appearance, sound, taste, etc., of (someone or something) so that people will not recognize that person or thing

: to hide (something) so that it will not be seen or noticed

disguise

noun

English Language Learners Definition of disguise (Entry 2 of 2)

: clothes or other things that you wear so that people will not recognize you

: the act of changing your appearance so that people will not recognize you

See the full definition for disguise in the English Language Learners Dictionary

disguise

dis·guise | \ də-ˈskīz

, dis-ˈgīz \

disguised; disguising

Kids Definition of disguise

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to change the looks or sound of to avoid being recognized He disguised his voice on the phone.

2 : to keep from revealing She disguised her true feelings.

disguise

Kids Definition of disguise (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : clothing worn to avoid being recognized

2 : an outward appearance that hides what something really is a blessing in disguise

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