Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

costume

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of costume

1 clothing chosen as appropriate for a specific situation

  • a tuxedo is the only acceptable costume for men attending a formal event
Synonyms of costume

drag, dress, garb, getup, guise, outfit, togs
Words Related to costume

apparel, attire, clothes, duds, habiliment(s), raiment

fashion, mode, style

array, caparison, vestments

2 clothing put on to hide oneʼs 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 of costume

camouflage, disguise, guise
Words Related to costume

domino, mask, veil, visor (also vizor), vizard

costumery, dress, getup, outfit, rig

coloring, cosmetic, makeup, paint

costume

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of costume

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 of costume

apparel, array, attire, bedeck, caparison, clothe, deck (out), do up, dress, dress up, enrobe, garb, garment, get up, gown, habit, invest, rig (out), robe, suit, tog (up or out), toilet, vesture
Words Related to costume

cloak, frock, jacket, mantle, vest

drape, enswathe, hap [dialect], huddle, swaddle, swathe, wrap

accoutre (or accouter), bedight [archaic], equip, furnish, habilitate, outfit, tailor, uniform

dress down, underdress
Near Antonyms of costume

denude, divest, uncover, undrape, unveil
Antonyms of costume

disarray, disrobe, strip, unclothe, undress, untruss [archaic]

Learn More about costume

  1. See words that rhyme with costume Dictionary: Definition of costume Spanish Central: Translation of costume Nglish: Translation of costume for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of costume for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about costume

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up costume? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games