charade

[ shuh-reyd; especially British shuh-rahd ]

/ ʃəˈreɪd; especially British ʃəˈrɑd /

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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.

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of charade

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

Words nearby charade

character study, character type, character witness, charactery, charactonym, charade, charades, charanga, charango, charas, Charcas

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use charade in a sentence

The company that brought us the cult-classic board game Exploding Kittens now has a new and improved take on charades.
The Best At-Home Après Gear of 2022|jversteegh|October 26, 2021|Outside Online
You may not resolve that years-old rift with your sibling, but you may thaw the ice over a campfire or a game of charades.
Surviving your multigenerational family vacation|Elizabeth Heath|May 14, 2021|Washington Post
Hospitals had been accepting bribes from the disinfectant’s manufacturer, and the government knew about the whole charade.
Oscar-Nominated Documentary Collective Is a Gripping Story of Investigative Journalism|Stephanie Zacharek|March 24, 2021|Time
Other options include Jackbox, a popular virtual party game in which players sign in to an app to play games reminiscent of charades or Pictionary.
The Zoom-fatigued person’s guide to connecting virtually on Thanksgiving|Tanya Basu|November 24, 2020|MIT Technology Review

The vaudeville veteran sees right through this charade of benighted widowhood, peeling back the veneer to reveal the specimen of ruthless ambition beneath.
‘All About Eve’ at 70|Tom Joudrey|September 25, 2020|Washington Blade
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
But I know what it is, I'm in love—that confounded Charade put me up to that dodge.
Frank Fairlegh|Frank E. Smedley
He looked on hopelessly, as you look at a charade of which you have not got the key.
My New Curate|P.A. Sheehan
Indeed, the Far Eastern state of things is a kind of charade on the word; for humanity there is singularly uniform.
The Soul of the Far East|Percival Lowell
The last charade party had not been held in their parlors, they congratulated themselves.
The Squirrel-Cage|Dorothy Canfield
The Charade is of recent birth, and I cannot discover the origin of this species of logogriphes.
Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 1 (of 3)|Isaac D'Israeli

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

charade

Origin of charade

Words nearby charade

Words related to charade

How to use charade in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for charade