costume 1 of 3

1
as in dress
clothing chosen as appropriate for a specific situation a tuxedo is the only acceptable costume for men attending a formal event

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in mask
clothing put on to hide one's true identity or imitate someone or something else Halloween costumes that caricature some of the "celebrities" created by the media over the past year

Synonyms & Similar Words

costume

2 of 3

verb

costume

3 of 3

adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of costume
Noun
Michael Wilkinson, who was our costume designer, is just a true artist. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025 Dress in your best cosplay costume and spend the weekend among belly dancers, fairies, princesses, aerialists and maybe even a mermaid or two. Sarah Kuta, Denver Post, 14 May 2025
Verb
Wang and her team accounted for that in numerous ways, from the episode’s lighting to costuming and cinematography choices. Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2025 There are animatronic dragons poking out of their little homes, walk-around dragons created with a bit of puppetry and costuming magic, and dragons that appear to walk and move completely on their own. Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
For years, people have wondered how actors (and writers, directors, editors, composers, costume designers, and so forth) make the time to see all the movies up for nomination each year when they’re expected to continue doing their jobs during awards season. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025 In a 2022 interview with Today, Ricci shared that costume fittings were some of her least favorite days on set because of the constant scrutiny surrounding her looks. Toria Sheffield, People.com, 20 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for costume
Recent Examples of Synonyms for costume
Noun
  • Their tulip jacquard dress (made up of 100% polyester) comes complete with a confidence-boosting back slit and non-slip silicone gripping.
    Pooja Shah, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
  • Including comfortable pants, matching sets, dresses, and more.
    Robin Raven, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2025
Noun
  • Along with Absolute Standards, a subsidiary of the company Walter Surface Technologies, which has its U.S. headquarters in Windsor, reportedly manufactures respirator safety masks used during executions in Alabama.
    Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 15 May 2025
  • Instead of fooling us with rubber masks and digital illusion, the film is all about pushing outlandish situations to the wall, where Ethan has to act at a split second’s notice.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • The exchange doesn’t quite go as planned, and the kidnapper and his crew are way more organized and forward-planning than the detectives anticipated, repeatedly throwing them off the trail with decoys and swaps between motorcyclists all clad in the same head-to-toe black.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2025
  • Audience members, some clad in MAGA caps, were largely supportive of Trump.
    Emma Whitford, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • Shilo wore a camouflage puffer jacket paired with brown pants.
    Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Rivetti said the camouflage, in particular, was directly influenced by the show, while the other styles lean more heavily on Seattle’s influence.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The next step is to get the new pope attired for his first public appearance.
    Christopher Watson, ABC News, 8 May 2025
  • The president and vice president were professionally attired in suits and ties befitting the stateliness of the Oval Office while Zelenskyy opted for a casual outfit resembling a tracksuit.
    Evan Nierman, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The velvet bow felt more formal than those smaller-scale ribbons, partially due to her half-up hairstyle and the dressy white jacket and layered pearl necklaces.
    Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 May 2025
  • Consider the shoes Photo: Getty Images A dressy beach shoe is certainly a tricky sartorial challenge, given you will likely be walking on sandy terrain.
    Christian Allaire, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Armed with a drum by his side, Njenga was dressed in a leopard-print Kenyan garb, with a mohawk painted half white and half black, in honor of Lwanda Magere, a Kenyan folk hero whose powers lay in the shadows.
    Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2025
  • For his trial, the mogul will be permitted to wear non-prison garb.
    Liam Quinn, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Alpine, which is owned by Renault and has won four world titles in its previous guises as Benetton and Renault, has undergone a period of significant staff and management upheaval since Szafnauer’s departure.
    Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
  • Cybercriminals Cyber threat opportunism takes many guises, from ransomware actors leveraging media interest in Elon Musk and DOGE to launch a trillion-dollar attack, to physical attackers using shoulder-surfing techniques to steal your phone and access the data contained within.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Costume.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/costume. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on costume

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!