disguise
Americanverb (used with object)
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disguises,
present (3rd person singular)
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disguised,
past participle, past
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disguising
present participle
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to change the appearance or guise of so as to conceal identity or mislead, as by means of deceptive garb.
The king was disguised as a peasant.
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to conceal or cover up the truth or actual character of by a counterfeit form or appearance; misrepresent.
to disguise one's intentions.
noun
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disguises
plural
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that which disguises; something that serves or is intended for concealment of identity, character, or quality; a deceptive covering, condition, manner, etc..
Noble words can be the disguise of base intentions.
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the makeup, mask, costume, or overall changed appearance of an entertainer.
a clown's disguise.
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the act of disguising.
to speak without disguise.
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the state of being disguised; masquerade.
The gods appeared in disguise.
verb
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to modify the appearance or manner in order to conceal the identity of (oneself, someone, or something)
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(tr) to misrepresent in order to obscure the actual nature or meaning
to disguise the facts
noun
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a mask, costume, or manner that disguises
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the act of disguising or the state of being disguised
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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disguisednessnoun
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disguisementnoun
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disguisernoun
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predisguisenoun
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disguisableadjective
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disguisedadjective
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nondisguisedadjective
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undisguisableadjective
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undisguisedadjective
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well-disguisedadjective
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disguisedlyadverb
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undisguisedlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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disguisesimple
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disguisessimple
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have disguisedperfect
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has disguisedperfect
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am disguisingprogressive
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are disguisingprogressive
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is disguisingprogressive
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have been disguisingperfect progressive
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has been disguisingperfect progressive
Past
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disguisedsimple
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had disguisedperfect
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was disguisingprogressive
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were disguisingprogressive
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had been disguisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disguise
1275–1325; Middle English disg ( u ) isen < Anglo-French, Old French de ( s ) guiser, equivalent to des- dis- 1 + -guiser, derivative of guise guise
Explanation
A disguise is something you put on so no one recognizes you. It also can be used as a verb. You can disguise yourself with a wig and mustache; that's a great disguise. Disguise can be used anytime you're talking about concealing or hiding something. Most of the time we think of a disguise as something you wear, but you can also disguise your feelings. Criminals might disguise their intentions. You can also use the word to describe something that seems to be one thing, but turns out to be another. You missed the plane, but then the plane crashed. That's a blessing in disguise.
Vocabulary lists containing disguise
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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.
See Examples For:
This allowed them to examine the longer warming trend more clearly, without the temporary fluctuations that can disguise changes in its pace.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
The double standard has always been there, but now it’s too obvious to pretend away or disguise.
From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2026
Last year, New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a $1 billion settlement with Yellowstone Capital over allegations that it issued MCAs that were, in fact, illegal high-interest loans in disguise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
The independent commission which studied the case found City "utilised devices" to "disguise the true extent of certain club liabilities".
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
“Who would question a boy with that many patches on his shirt? Besides, it was the only disguise I could find that came with a hat.”
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
Doctor Who first launched in 1963, and follows the adventures of an eccentric Time Lord who travels in a spaceship larger on the inside, that disguises itself as a 1960s British police box.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
She disguises herself with a mask and a L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Hine often donned disguises or pretended to be inspecting a factory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Researchers have identified a remarkable new spider species in Ecuador's Amazon rainforest that disguises itself as a parasitic fungus.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
Wearing their disguises, they photographed the entry and exit points of Dr. Fielding’s office building.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
De La Cruz’s contempt for her opponent, though, was not disguised.
From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026
They allege that she was operating an “illegal commercial enterprise” disguised as a non-profit animal rescue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
In 1990, two men disguised as police officers spent 81 minutes crisscrossing Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum to cut out and carry off masterpieces by Vermeer and Rembrandt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
From time to time the disguised funding scheme would be tweaked to "assist with continued concealment" and "reduce the likelihood of difficult questions being asked".
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
The next course arrives and Celia returns to listening and observing, in between trying to figure out if the meat disguised in feather-light pastry and delicate wine sauce is actually lamb or something more exotic.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
On the contrary, he has a long public record of being nasty to her in public, often — though not always — disguising his cruelty as “jokes.”
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
To one, time imposes order on life; to the other, time is a construct disguising a deeper chaos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Anthropic found that the model engaged in a behavior called “alignment faking” — deliberately disguising its true reasoning and dangerous capabilities to avoid being restricted by people.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 18, 2026
He acknowledged, though, that they “do a good job disguising their coverage.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2026
“It’s a disguising room,” Millard answered, “designed to help visiting peculiars blend in with this loop’s normals.”
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
