masquerade

[ mas-kuh-reyd ]

noun

1. a party, dance, or other festive gathering of persons wearing masks and other disguises, and often elegant, historical, or fantastic costumes.

   Synonyms: mummery

2. a costume or disguise worn at such a gathering.
3. false outward show; façade; pretense:

   a hypocrite's masquerade of virtue.

4. activity, existence, etc., under false pretenses:

   a rich man's masquerade as a beggar.

verb (used without object)

, mas·quer·ad·ed, mas·quer·ad·ing.

1. 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.

2. to disguise oneself.
3. to take part in a masquerade.

masquerade

/ ˌmæskəˈreɪd /

noun

1. a party or other gathering to which the guests wear masks and costumes
2. the disguise worn at such a function
3. a pretence or disguise

verb

1. to participate in a masquerade; disguise oneself
2. to dissemble

Derived Forms

• ˌmasquerˈader, noun

Other Words From

• masquer·ader noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of masquerade¹

1580–90; earlier masquerada, mascarado, pseudo-Spanish forms of Middle French mascarade < Upper Italian mascherada; mask, -ade ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of masquerade¹

C16: from Spanish mascarada, from mascara mask

Example Sentences

In its own announcement, Amazon said domain fronting could help malware masquerade as standard traffic.

From MIT Technology Review

The masquerade strategy was especially effective at helping prey elude predators, increasing search time by nearly 300 percent.

From Science News

At its very basic, it’s pageantry, masquerade, and glitz, and awards are given in various categories that exhibit “realness.”

From 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.

From Vox

They 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.

From Time

It builds to a masquerade ball, in which Not Harry and the women don masks and commence flirting.

From The Daily Beast

They masquerade as intellectual contests, but are really just showcases for rhetorical cleverness and public charisma.

From The Daily Beast

He was supposed to come back to “masquerade the relationship,” but no such luck.

From The Daily Beast

Hough would have blended in seamlessly at the “Disco Africa”-themed Halloweek masquerade party held in Milan that same night.

From The Daily Beast

He escorts her to masquerade parties, takes her sailing on his yacht, force-feeds her oysters.

From 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.

From Project Gutenberg

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.

From Project Gutenberg

All the shabbiest tinsel and trappings of secular music passed across the trestles of this religious masquerade.

From Project Gutenberg

Between times I'm making a dress and cap for the masquerade dance.

From Project Gutenberg

It was a game, but he rejoiced in it as a girl does in her first masquerade.

From Project Gutenberg