dissemble

1 of 2

verb

dis·​sem·​ble di-ˈsem-bəl 

dissembled; dissembling di-ˈsem-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to hide under a false appearance

dissembling the facts

2

: to put on the appearance of : simulate

She lay down and dissembled sleep.

intransitive verb

: to put on a false appearance : conceal facts, intentions, or feelings under some pretense

He had dissembled about the risks involved.

dissembler

di-ˈsem-b(ə-)lər 

noun

dissembler

2 of 2

noun

dis·​sem·​bler -b(ə)lə(r) 

plural -s

: one that dissembles

we shall have to become dissemblers —saying one thing while knowing in our own minds that it is a lie

—Asher Moore

Did you know?

We have nothing to hide: dissemble (from the Latin verb dissimulāre, meaning “to disguise the identity of”) stresses the intent to deceive others, especially about facts, feelings, or intentions. Most often found in formal or literary speech and writing, dissemble also implies that the facts, feelings, or intentions someone is attempting to conceal could land that person in hot water if discovered, as when a politician dissembles at a press conference when faced with questions about a recent scandal. Typical use notwithstanding, it’s perfectly fine to bust out dissemble in less formal contexts and conversations. Just be careful not to confuse dissemble with disassemble, which means “to take apart.”

Synonyms of dissemble

Verb

• pretend
• assume
• simulate

Examples of dissemble in a Sentence

Verb

he dissembled happiness at the news that his old girlfriend was getting married—to someone else

children learn to dissemble at a surprisingly early age

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Instead, whole grains and foods are dissembled into molecules which, with the help of artificial colorings, flavorings and gluelike emulsifiers, are heated, pounded, shaped or extruded into any food a manufacturer can dream up. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026

When McKenzie asks him how much he’s contributed to the coffers of politicians, his dodging of the question is pure dissembling theater. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026

Nor have the Trumps dissembled about Amazon’s payment of forty million dollars for the rights to the film—more than twice as much as the second-highest bid—with twenty-eight million reportedly flowing directly to the First Lady. — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 8 Feb. 2026

With his multi-instrumentalist bandmates, PJ Moore and co-songwriter Robert Bell, Buchanan zooms into these exchanges to prolong them or dissembles them into jagged pieces that leave the bigger picture to us. — Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 1 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English dissymbulen, dissymblen, probably reshaping of dissimulen in same sense (after resemblen "to resemble," semblance semblance, and like forms), borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French dissimuler, dissumuler "to hide under a false appearance," borrowed from Latin dissimulāre — more at dissimulate

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for dissemble

• semble
• tremble
• assemble
• resemble
• disassemble
• reassemble

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Kids Definition

dissemble

verb

dis·​sem·​ble dis-ˈem-bəl 

dissembled; dissembling -b(ə-)liŋ 

: to hide one's true feelings : put on a false appearance

dissembler

-b(ə-)lər 

noun