Could You Pass The SAT? Test Yourself!

dissemble

[ dih-sem-buhl ]
/ dɪˈsɛm bəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR dissemble ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), dis·sem·bled, dis·sem·bling.

to give a false or misleading appearance to; conceal the truth or real nature of: to dissemble one's incompetence in business.
to put on the appearance of; feign: to dissemble innocence.
Obsolete. to let pass unnoticed; ignore.

verb (used without object), dis·sem·bled, dis·sem·bling.

to conceal one's true motives, thoughts, etc., by some pretense; speak or act hypocritically.

QUIZZES

CAN YOU ACE THIS QUIZ ABOUT “COMPLIMENT” VS. “COMPLEMENT”?

Take this quiz to see if you really know the difference between “compliment” and “complement"!
Question 1 of 11
“Compliment” and “complement” had a shared meaning a long time ago, but today they are no longer interchangeable.
True
False
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of dissemble

1490–1500; alteration (by association with obsolete semble to resemble) of Middle English dissimulen < Latin dissimulāre. See dis-1, simulate

OTHER WORDS FROM dissemble

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH dissemble

disassemble dissemble

Words nearby dissemble

disseize, disseizee, disseizin, disselboom, dissemblance, dissemble, disseminate, disseminated, disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, disseminated lipogranulomatosis
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to dissemble

pussyfoot, feign, dissimulate, hide, conceal, cover, whitewash, mask, cloak, camouflage, shroud, signify, stonewall, simulate, fake, affect, counterfeit, pass, falsify, sham

Example sentences from the Web for dissemble

British Dictionary definitions for dissemble

dissemble
/ (dɪˈsɛmbəl) /

verb

to conceal (one's real motives, emotions, etc) by pretence
(tr) to pretend; simulate
obsolete to ignore

Derived forms of dissemble

dissemblance, noundissembler, noundissembling, noun, adjectivedissemblingly, adverb

Word Origin for dissemble

C15: from earlier dissimulen, from Latin dissimulāre; probably influenced by obsolete semble to resemble
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