masquerade
Americannoun
-
a party, dance, or other festive gathering of persons wearing masks and other disguises, and often elegant, historical, or fantastic costumes.
- Synonyms:
- mummery
-
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.
verb (used without object)
-
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.
noun
-
a party or other gathering to which the guests wear masks and costumes
-
the disguise worn at such a function
-
a pretence or disguise
verb
-
to participate in a masquerade; disguise oneself
-
to dissemble
Other Word Forms
- masquerader noun
Etymology
Origin of masquerade
1580–90; earlier masquerada, mascarado, pseudo-Spanish forms of Middle French mascarade < Upper Italian mascherada; mask, -ade 1
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.
The Elwood Club at the Pendry Newport Beach hotel in Newport Beach, Calif., for example, gives members access to the hotel’s on-site personal trainer and hosts an annual masquerade party for members only.
“This is a fight about vibes and personalities masquerading as a policy dispute,” said Michael Horowitz, a former Defense Department official who worked on AI policy.
She ripped a bloodred ball gown off a hanger along with the matching red feather masquerade mask that went with it.
From Literature
The Bohemian second son has so far refused to settle down, but this all changes when he meets a masked lady in silver at a masquerade ball.
From BBC
People knew Sceptobius was able to masquerade as an ant, but they didn’t know how it pulled it off.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
