masquerade

American  

[mas-kuh-reyd] / ˌmæs kəˈreɪd /

noun

1. a party, dance, or other festive gathering of persons wearing masks and other disguises, and often elegant, historical, or fantastic costumes.

   Synonyms:

   mummery

2. a costume or disguise worn at such a gathering.

3. false outward show; façade; pretense.

   a hypocrite's masquerade of virtue.

4. activity, existence, etc., under false pretenses.

   a rich man's masquerade as a beggar.

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verb (used without object)

masqueraded, masquerading

1. to go about under false pretenses or a false character; assume the character of; give oneself out to be.

   to masquerade as a former Russian count.

2. to disguise oneself.

3. to take part in a masquerade.

masquerade British  

/ ˌmæskəˈreɪd /

noun

1. a party or other gathering to which the guests wear masks and costumes

2. the disguise worn at such a function

3. a pretence or disguise

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verb

1. to participate in a masquerade; disguise oneself

2. to dissemble

Other Word Forms

• masquerader
  noun

Etymology

Origin of masquerade

1580–90; earlier masquerada, mascarado, pseudo-Spanish forms of Middle French mascarade < Upper Italian mascherada; see mask, -ade ¹

Explanation

To masquerade means "to pretend to be someone else." If you masquerade as a sweet, kind-hearted person, you present that image to the world, hiding your true identity as a jerk who has rage issues. As a verb, masquerade can also mean to dress up as someone else, in costume. At the parade, you will masquerade as the court jester, wearing a purple outfit and bells and tossing candy to little kids. The noun masquerade refers to both your costume, which usually includes a mask, and the event where you will wear it. The fun is in hiding your real identity for the night.

Example Sentences

Masquerade masks and cocktail or formal wear are required and entry is by password instead of physical ticket, contributing to the transportive theme of the show.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 28, 2025

Ms Williams is the executive producer of a documentary on Masquerade and its place within the carnival to help expose the tradition behind the costumes to more people.

From BBC • Aug. 28, 2023

At the Haunted Nights Masquerade Ball, the only thing louder than the music was the cheers.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 12, 2021

At the time, Johnson was sinking into the music scene at an Atlanta venue called the Masquerade, whose logo she has since had tattooed on her forearm.

From New York Times • Aug. 19, 2021

Masquerade as a human dwarf, with an aversion to light.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer