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Synonyms

guise

1 American  
[gahyz] / gaɪz /

noun

  1. general external appearance; aspect; semblance.

    an old principle in a new guise.
    Synonyms:
    shape, form

  2. assumed appearance or mere semblance.

    under the guise of friendship.

  3. style of dress.

    in the guise of a shepherd.

  4. Archaic. manner; mode.

verb (used with object)

guised, guising

  1. to dress; attire.

    children guised as cowboys.

verb (used without object)

guised, guising

  1. Scot. and North England. to appear or go in disguise.

Guise 2 American  
[geez] / giz /

noun

  1. François de Lorraine 2nd Duc de, 1519–63, French general and statesman.

  2. his son Henri I de Lorraine Duc de, 1550–88, French general and leader of opposition to the Huguenots.

guise British  
/ ɡaɪz /

noun

  1. semblance or pretence

    under the guise of friendship

  2. external appearance in general

  3. archaic manner or style of dress

  4. obsolete customary behaviour or manner

"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

verb

  1. dialect to disguise or be disguised in fancy dress

  2. archaic (tr) to dress or dress up

"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

Related Words

See appearance.

Etymology

Origin of guise

1175–1225; (noun) Middle English g ( u ) ise < Old French < Germanic; wise 2: (v.) Middle English gisen, derivative of the noun

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.

“When I think about a song like ‘Take It,’ it’s more about loss and more in the guise of a relationship.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

Since around 2015, Prince Group has operated across more than 30 countries under the guise of legitimate real estate, financial services and consumer businesses, US prosecutors said.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

The backlash caused Ring to cancel a deal with tech surveillance company Flock Safety, which sells its tools to police and governments under the guise of stopping crime.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

“Rather than implement industry-standard detection tools used by its peers, Apple repeatedly shirked their responsibility to protect children under the guise of user privacy,” the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

Still, what little we say to one another often comes back in another guise.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

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.