Synonyms of costume

costume 1 of 3

noun

ˈkä-ˌstüm 

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

• dress
• clothes
• attire
• garb
• outfit
• getup
• togs
• apparel
• guise
• style
• drag
• raiment
• mode
• duds
• vestments
• habiliment(s)
• fashion
• array
• caparison

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

• mask
• camouflage
• guise
• disguise
• dress
• veil
• paint
• visor
• coloring
• makeup
• costumery
• outfit
• getup
• rig
• domino
• cosmetic
• vizard

costume

2 of 3

verb

kä-ˈstüm 

as in to dress

to outfit with clothes and especially fine or special clothes

the days when people, costumed in their Sunday best, would parade along the grand avenue on Easter

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dress
• clothe
• attire
• gown
• garment
• apparel
• garb
• toilet
• suit
• habit
• deck (out)
• rig (out)
• array
• robe
• drape
• wrap
• jacket
• dress up
• get up
• bedeck
• vesture
• uniform
• outfit
• tog (up or out)
• enrobe
• caparison
• cloak
• vest
• frock
• invest
• do up
• mantle
• furnish
• tailor
• swaddle
• equip
• huddle
• dress down
• swathe
• hap
• bedight
• accoutre
• enswathe
• underdress
• habilitate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strip
• undress
• disarray
• disrobe
• unclothe
• uncover
• untruss
• divest
• unveil
• denude
• undrape

costume

3 of 3

adjective

as in costumey

Related Words

• dress
• costumey
• dressy
• formal
• fashionable
• stylish
• chic
• dapper
• in
• natty
• evening
• modish
• fitted
• tailored
• smart
• white-tie
• black-tie
• snappy
• custom-made
• semiformal
• sharp

Dissimilar Words

• informal
• casual
• street
• sporty
• unfashionable
• outmoded
• dowdy
• sportif
• untidy
• sloppy
• slovenly
• unkempt
• wrinkled
• grungy
• messy
• rumpled
• disheveled
• styleless
• mussy
• frowsy
• unstylish
• sloven

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of costume

Noun

Not just a costume-lover’s dream, but also Lanthimos’s best film (according to our critic, anyway). — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026

Another, Undine kommt (Undine Comes), 2025, has its head in profile with a frontal eye, evoking the conventions of ancient Egyptian art and prehistoric female figurines, motifs that permeate Stötzer’s drawings, writings, and costumes. — Elisa R. Linn, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Verb

Seven days of building both the Ice King and Charlie the Unicorn costumes with much trial and error have culminated in her decision to go as the Ice King for the first day of San Diego Comic-Con. — Jesa Marie Calaor, Allure, 24 July 2026

Nearby, two performers were smoking in white Monobloc chairs, costumed in long aprons and scrubs, rubber gloves close at hand. — Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Adjective

Russian strikes also damaged Kyiv’s Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio, which holds the country’s largest and oldest costume collection. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 15 June 2026

For their imaginative daring, co-directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch were justly honored as were costume designer Qween Jean and choreographers Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons, among the production’s notable awards. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026