disguise
Americanverb (used with object)
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disguises,
present (3rd person singular)
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disguised,
past participle, past
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disguising
present participle
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to change the appearance or guise of so as to conceal identity or mislead, as by means of deceptive garb.
The king was disguised as a peasant.
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to conceal or cover up the truth or actual character of by a counterfeit form or appearance; misrepresent.
to disguise one's intentions.
noun
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disguises
plural
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that which disguises; something that serves or is intended for concealment of identity, character, or quality; a deceptive covering, condition, manner, etc..
Noble words can be the disguise of base intentions.
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the makeup, mask, costume, or overall changed appearance of an entertainer.
a clown's disguise.
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the act of disguising.
to speak without disguise.
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the state of being disguised; masquerade.
The gods appeared in disguise.
verb
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to modify the appearance or manner in order to conceal the identity of (oneself, someone, or something)
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(tr) to misrepresent in order to obscure the actual nature or meaning
to disguise the facts
noun
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a mask, costume, or manner that disguises
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the act of disguising or the state of being disguised
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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disguisednessnoun
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disguisementnoun
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disguisernoun
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predisguisenoun
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disguisableadjective
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disguisedadjective
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nondisguisedadjective
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undisguisableadjective
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undisguisedadjective
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well-disguisedadjective
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disguisedlyadverb
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undisguisedlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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disguisesimple
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disguisessimple
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have disguisedperfect
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has disguisedperfect
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am disguisingprogressive
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are disguisingprogressive
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is disguisingprogressive
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have been disguisingperfect progressive
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has been disguisingperfect progressive
Past
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disguisedsimple
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had disguisedperfect
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was disguisingprogressive
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were disguisingprogressive
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had been disguisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disguise
1275–1325; Middle English disg ( u ) isen < Anglo-French, Old French de ( s ) guiser, equivalent to des- dis- 1 + -guiser, derivative of guise guise
Explanation
A disguise is something you put on so no one recognizes you. It also can be used as a verb. You can disguise yourself with a wig and mustache; that's a great disguise. Disguise can be used anytime you're talking about concealing or hiding something. Most of the time we think of a disguise as something you wear, but you can also disguise your feelings. Criminals might disguise their intentions. You can also use the word to describe something that seems to be one thing, but turns out to be another. You missed the plane, but then the plane crashed. That's a blessing in disguise.
Vocabulary lists containing disguise
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Legend
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Kenny is relishing the role, barely able to disguise his pleasure as Miranda Hart confided to him over breakfast that "you're my main faithful".
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
On the morning Holmes is due to report to prison, Fielder arrives with a parting gag gift: hair dye and glasses, in case she’d prefer to disguise herself and flee the country.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The production was announced in March this year as a "rambunctious comedy of deception and disguise inspired by the grand swashbuckling epics of stage and screen".
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
The state accused Pike of filing “a second and successive habeas petition in disguise that presses a claim she already unsuccessfully presented.”
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
His carefully chosen disguise was his only protection.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
And as he studied positioning in the secondary, he acquired the answer key for the coverages and disguises that teams would one day deploy against him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
She disguises herself with a mask and a L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Researchers have identified a remarkable new spider species in Ecuador's Amazon rainforest that disguises itself as a parasitic fungus.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
This nod to elaborate disguises, favoured by attendees at science fiction conventions, hints at Smith's core audience.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
When we wore our simple disguises, few people gave us a second look.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
"City's difficulty is that the Commission heard extensive witness and documentary evidence but nevertheless made serious findings of sham arrangements and disguised owner funding."
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
The commission found City had arranged "sham" commercial deals with a number of its sponsors that were part of a "disguised funding scheme".
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
There was another dose of theatre when WBA 'Super' welterweight world champion Teofimo Lopez, disguised with a fake beard, stood among the crowd to ask a question before revealing himself to loud cheers.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
There are plenty of other ways that our culture has disguised unhealthy behaviors, as “Maddie’s Secret” so cunningly stresses.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
“If you look closely, you can see that his jacket is dry, not wet. He was disguised to look like he was injured in the battle, but blood dries brown, not bright red.”
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Not much later, I would consider the role of language in disguising accountability during an investigation into mistreatment of children in Russian orphanages.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
To one, time imposes order on life; to the other, time is a construct disguising a deeper chaos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Anthropic found that the model engaged in a behavior called “alignment faking” — deliberately disguising its true reasoning and dangerous capabilities to avoid being restricted by people.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 18, 2026
Offering techniques including disguising users' data as different types of internet traffic, Psiphon "is able to evade detection more successfully", data and insights director Keith McManamen told AFP.
From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026
“I sometimes offer Rosmerta my custom, or else visit the Hog’s Head...or I appear to. It is as good a way as any of disguising one’s true destination.”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
