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.

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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.

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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

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verb

1. dialect to disguise or be disguised in fancy dress

2. archaic (tr) to dress or dress up

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

“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

Founder Nikos Mihaloliakos and six other leading Golden Dawn officials were found guilty of "belonging to and running a criminal organisation" under the guise of a political party.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 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

Enid believed there was only a “good Joyce,” that a “bad Joyce” was a theological impossibility, that any such person who might appear was by definition an imposter in the guise of her daughter.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• disguise