masquerade
a party, dance, or other festive gathering of persons wearing masks and other disguises, and often elegant, historical, or fantastic costumes.
a costume or disguise worn at such a gathering.
false outward show; façade; pretense: a hypocrite's masquerade of virtue.
activity, existence, etc., under false pretenses: a rich man's masquerade as a beggar.
to go about under false pretenses or a false character; assume the character of; give oneself out to be: to masquerade as a former Russian count.
to disguise oneself.
to take part in a masquerade.
Origin of masquerade
1Other words for masquerade
Other words from masquerade
- mas·quer·ad·er, noun
Words Nearby masquerade
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use masquerade in a sentence
In its own announcement, Amazon said domain fronting could help malware masquerade as standard traffic.
Big Tech could help Iranian protesters by using an old tool | Hana Kiros | November 11, 2022 | MIT Technology ReviewThe masquerade strategy was especially effective at helping prey elude predators, increasing search time by nearly 300 percent.
Not all camouflage is equal. Here are prey animals’ best options | Jake Buehler | September 13, 2022 | Science NewsAt its very basic, it’s pageantry, masquerade, and glitz, and awards are given in various categories that exhibit “realness.”
Celebrating and understanding Ballroom culture | Terri Schlichenmeyer | March 31, 2022 | Washington Blade“If near-misses masquerade as successes, then organizations and their members will only learn to continue taking the risks that produced the near-miss outcome until a tragedy occurs,” the researchers wrote.
The lab leak hypothesis — true or not — should teach us a lesson | Umair Irfan | August 27, 2021 | VoxThey refused to question Modi, and allowed him to use a national disaster to bolster his image, consolidate power, stifle dissent and masquerade grandstanding as governance.
It Isn't Just Modi. India’s Compliant Media Must Also Take Responsibility for the COVID-19 Crisis | Debasish Roy Chowdhury | May 3, 2021 | Time
It builds to a masquerade ball, in which Not Harry and the women don masks and commence flirting.
You Really Don't Want to Watch Fox’s ‘I Wanna Marry “Harry”’ | Jason Lynch | May 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThey masquerade as intellectual contests, but are really just showcases for rhetorical cleverness and public charisma.
My Debate With an ‘Intelligent Design’ Theorist | Karl W. Giberson | April 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe was supposed to come back to “masquerade the relationship,” but no such luck.
Hough would have blended in seamlessly at the “Disco Africa”-themed Halloweek masquerade party held in Milan that same night.
He escorts her to masquerade parties, takes her sailing on his yacht, force-feeds her oysters.
Speed Read: 12 Naughty Bits From ‘50 Shades Darker’ | Lizzie Crocker | May 4, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST"I'm in a big hurry to get to a masquerade," Black Hood said as he opened the door of the taxi.
It is you that have injured her by allowing her to masquerade as a man—a little thing like that, with nobody to advise her.
A Little Union Scout | Joel Chandler HarrisAll the shabbiest tinsel and trappings of secular music passed across the trestles of this religious masquerade.
Between times I'm making a dress and cap for the masquerade dance.
Patchwork | Anna Balmer MyersIt was a game, but he rejoiced in it as a girl does in her first masquerade.
Riders of the Silences | John Frederick
British Dictionary definitions for masquerade
/ (ˌmæskəˈreɪd) /
a party or other gathering to which the guests wear masks and costumes
the disguise worn at such a function
a pretence or disguise
to participate in a masquerade; disguise oneself
to dissemble
Origin of masquerade
1Derived forms of masquerade
- masquerader, noun
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
Browse