masquerade

1 of 3

noun (1)

mas·​quer·​ade ˌma-skə-ˈrād 

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

masquerade

2 of 3

verb

masqueraded; masquerading

intransitive verb

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

masquerader noun

masquerader

3 of 3

noun (2)

mas·​quer·​ad·​er

-də(r)

plural -s

: one that masquerades

especially : a person taking part in a masquerade

Synonyms of masquerade

Noun (1)

• facade
• pretense
• show
• guise
• pose
• act
• disguise
• charade

Verb

• pose (as)
• play
• mock

Examples of masquerade in a Sentence

Noun (1)

She could not keep up the masquerade any longer.

although she was deeply bored, she maintained a masquerade of polite interest as her guest droned on

Verb

He was masquerading under a false name.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Each show has a different theme that will transport you to an over-the-top setting, from a masquerade ball to old Hollywood. — Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Sep. 2026

That kind of cynicism is cheap and facile and masquerades as intelligence and erudition. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Verb

As a result, urban hospitals masquerading as rural have increased by more than 14,000% since 2017. — Christina Smith, Baltimore Sun, 24 Sep. 2026

Typically, attacks begin with a simple CAPTCHA image, often masquerading as one from Cloudflare. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for masquerade

• accolade
• ambuscade
• antegrade
• balustrade
• barricade
• cannonade
• cavalcade
• centigrade
• chambermaid
• colonnade
• countertrade
• disobeyed

Kids Definition

masquerade

1 of 2 noun

mas·​quer·​ade ˌmas-kə-ˈrād 

1

: a party (as a dance) at which people wear masks and often fantastic costumes

2

: an action or appearance that is only a disguise or outward show : pose

masquerade

2 of 2 verb

masqueraded; masquerading

1

: to take part in a masquerade

2

: to assume the appearance of something one is not : pose

masquerader noun