charade

[ shuh-reyd; especially British shuh-rahd ]

/ ʃəˈreɪd; especially British ʃəˈrɑd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR charade ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

charades, (used with a singular verb) a game in which the players are typically divided into two teams, members of which take turns at acting out in pantomime a word, phrase, title, etc., which the members of their own team must guess.

a word or phrase acted out in this game.

a blatant pretense or deception, especially something so full of pretense as to be a travesty.

Nearby words

characteristic x-ray, characterization, characterize, charactery, charactonym, charade, charades, charanga, charango, charas, charcas

Origin of charade

1770–80; < French < Provençal charrad(o) entertainment, equivalent to charr(á) to chat, chatter (from imitative root) + -ado -ade¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for charade

If the Democrats maintain this charade, 2016 will not be the cakewalk they dream it to be.
Earth to DNC: Dyspeptic Dad Still Votes, Too|Lloyd Green|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What I mean is that both sides found time to put on a charade.
Obama and Latinos Are at the Breaking Point|Ruben Navarrette Jr.|July 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Finally, she reached a point where she could no longer continue the charade.
Fred Phelps’s Son Is the Subject of a Documentary About His Abusive Childhood and Escaping Westboro Baptist|Caitlin Dickson|June 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Democrats, do the American thing and have nothing to do with this charade.
Beirut Barracks vs. Benghazi|Michael Tomasky|May 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

If this is all a hoax, Detweiler is a master of the charade.
The Mystery of FluteDrop: D.J. Detweiler Pairs Miley Cyrus With Woodwinds|Gideon Resnick|March 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was, he guessed, because of the too tender passage in the charade.
Tutors' Lane|Wilmarth Lewis
"Come, come, let's get on with the charade," urged the Man from Outside.
The Money Master, Complete|Gilbert Parker
At the end of the first charade, when the girls were standing at a loss in the dimly-lit hall, she made a timid suggestion.
Pointed Roofs|Dorothy Richardson
They then both rose and declared the charade completed, leaving it to the audience to divine the answer.
The Art of Amusing|Frank Bellew
The next night the charade was ass-ass-in, and Blinks went on for the first two syllables.
The Three Brides, Love in a Cottage, and Other Tales|Francis A. Durivage

British Dictionary definitions for charade

charade

/ (ʃəˈrɑːd) /

noun

an episode or act in the game of charades

mainly British an absurd act; travesty

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012