charades

British  

/ ʃəˈrɑːdz /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) a parlour game in which one team acts out each syllable of a word, the other team having to guess the word

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Etymology

Origin of charades

C18: from French charade entertainment, from Provençal charrado chat, from charra chatter, of imitative origin

Example Sentences

"We divided attendees into groom and bride's teams and organised games like charades and guessing who the relative is from a stereotype," said CEO Anurag Pandey.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2025

He read out the rules for what was essentially an arena-scale game of charades between him and the audience, in which his number of wins determined which costume he donned for the next act.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2025

Hitler ran a regime that engaged in elaborate charades to bamboozle sympathetic and influential foreigners about the nature of the Nazi state.

From Salon • Sep. 21, 2024

Later named “state crawfish racing commissioner” by Texas Governor Preston Smith, Judice’s marketing charades eventually paid off by creating a regional market for what’s, today, a burgeoning industry.

From National Geographic • Feb. 15, 2024

She had gone to parties, played charades, competed in poetry readings, joined a chorus and orchestra.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck