masquerade

1 of 2

noun

mas·​quer·​ade ˌma-skə-ˈrād How to pronounce masquerade (audio)
1
a
: a social gathering of persons wearing masks and often fantastic costumes
b
: a costume for wear at such a gathering
2
: an action or appearance that is mere disguise or show

masquerade

2 of 2

verb

masqueraded; masquerading

intransitive verb

1
a
: to disguise oneself
also : to go about disguised
b
: to take part in a masquerade
2
: to assume the appearance of something one is not
masquerader noun

Examples of masquerade in a Sentence

Noun She could not keep up the masquerade any longer. although she was deeply bored, she maintained a masquerade of polite interest as her guest droned on Verb He was masquerading under a false name.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Galactic masquerade glares its eyes on Halloween Thursday, October 31, 2024: Like a mask covering two cosmic eyes staring unblinking into the abyss, these two spiral galaxies grazed one another several million years ago. Space.com Staff, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2025 When: 4:30-10:15 p.m. on Dec. 31 with a masquerade at midnight. Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
Sarah Garrahan & Sue Ding; 2025; USA; 14 min At a photography studio in a Wild West theme park, visitors masquerade as modern visions of the American West. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025 As part of a sextortion scheme, Lawal allegedly masqueraded as a young woman on social media and sent Gavin nude photos. Faith Karimi, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for masquerade 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French, from Old Italian dialect mascarada, from Old Italian maschera mask

First Known Use

Noun

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of masquerade was in 1587

Dictionary Entries Near masquerade

Cite this Entry

“Masquerade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masquerade. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

masquerade

1 of 2 noun
mas·​quer·​ade ˌmas-kə-ˈrād How to pronounce masquerade (audio)
1
: a party (as a dance) at which people wear masks and often fantastic costumes
2
: an action or appearance that is only a disguise or outward show : pose

masquerade

2 of 2 verb
masqueraded; masquerading
1
: to take part in a masquerade
2
: to assume the appearance of something one is not : pose
masquerader noun

More from Merriam-Webster on masquerade

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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