dissemble
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to give a false or misleading appearance to; conceal the truth or real nature of.
to dissemble one's incompetence in business.
- Synonyms:
- dissimulate, disguise, camouflage, hide, mask
-
to put on the appearance of; feign.
to dissemble innocence.
-
Obsolete. to let pass unnoticed; ignore.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to conceal (one's real motives, emotions, etc) by pretence
-
(tr) to pretend; simulate
-
obsolete to ignore
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
dissemblancenoun
-
dissemblinglyadverb
-
undissembledadjective
-
dissemblernoun
-
dissemblingnoun
-
undissemblinglyadverb
-
undissemblingadjective
-
well-dissembledadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have dissembledperfect
-
has dissembledperfect 3rd person singular
-
is dissemblingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
am dissemblingprogressive 1st person singular
-
has been dissemblingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
are dissemblingprogressive
-
have been dissemblingperfect progressive
-
dissemblessingular 3rd person
-
dissemblingparticiple
Past
-
had dissembledperfect
-
had been dissemblingperfect progressive
-
was dissemblingprogressive singular
-
were dissemblingprogressive plural
-
dissembledsimple
-
dissembledparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of dissemble
First recorded in 1490–1500; late Middle English dissemile, dissimill, alteration (by association with obsolete semblen, sembel “to bear a resemblance, appear to be”) of Middle English dissimulen “to assume a false appearance, be insincere,” from Old French dessembler, dissembler “to be unlike,” from Latin dissimulāre “to conceal the identity of, disguise”; see origin at dis- 1, resemble, simulate
Explanation
To dissemble is to try to deceive someone. Your little brother tried to dissemble when you asked if he ate the last doughnut, but the chocolate icing on his face gave him away. Dissemble is a little more complicated than a straight lie or denial. When you dissemble, you disguise your true intentions or feelings behind a false appearance. To dissemble is to pretend that you don't know something, to pretend that you think one way when you act another way. "He worked for six months at that company before they discovered he was dissembling: he had lied on his application about his credentials and education."
Vocabulary lists containing dissemble
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
1984
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
No, Flavia, 'tis your love I fear; Love's surest darts, Those which so seldom fail him, are Headed with hearts: Their very shadows make us yield; Dissemble well, and win the field!
From The Home Book of Verse — Volume 2 by Stevenson, Burton Egbert
You know that you recanted all you said Touching the sacrament in that same book You wrote against my Lord of Winchester; Dissemble not; play the plain Christian man.
From Queen Mary and Harold by Tennyson, Alfred Tennyson, Baron
Dissemble nothing, not a boy; nor change Thy body’s habit, nor mind; be not strange To thyself only.
From Hazlitt on English Literature An Introduction to the Appreciation of Literature by Zeitlin, Jacob
No, Flavia! 'tis your love I fear; Love's surest darts, Those which so seldom fail him, are Headed with hearts; Their very shadows make us yield; Dissemble well, and win the field.
From A Little Book of Old Time Verse Old Fashioned Flowers by Various
Madam, conceal your grief, and seem content; For, as it is, you must be rul'd per force: Dissemble, till convenient time may serve To think on this despite and Musgrave's love.
From A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 8 by Hazlitt, William Carew
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
