masquerade
English · Thesaurus
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masquerade
- /ˌmæskəˈɹeɪd/ UK
- /ˈmæskəˌɹeɪd/ UK
- /ˌmɑːs-/ UK
- /ˈmɑːs-/ UK
- /ˌmæskəˈɹeɪd/ Canada, US
- /ˈmæskəˌɹeɪd/ Canada, US
- /ˌmæskəˈɹæɪd/ Australia
- /ˈmæskəˌɹæɪd/ Australia
- /ˌmɐːs-/ Australia
- /ˈmɐːs-/ Australia
Rhymes with -eɪd
Where it comes from
The noun is borrowed from Middle French mascarade, masquarade, masquerade (modern French mascarade (“masquerade, masque; farce”)), and its etymon Italian mascherata (“masquerade”), from maschera (“mask”) + -ata. Maschera is derived from Medieval Latin masca (“mask”): see further there. The English word is cognate with Late Latin masquarata, Portuguese mascarada, Spanish mascarada.
The verb is derived from the noun.
noun masquerades · mascarade · maskerade
-
An assembly or party of people wearing (usually elaborate or fanciful) masks and costumes, and amusing themselves with dancing, conversation, or other diversions.
Near-synonym: costume party
Similar: masque, costume party
- The act of wearing a mask or dressing up in a costume for, or as if for, a masquerade ball.
- An act of living under false pretenses; a concealment of something by a false or unreal show; a disguise, a pretence; also, a pretentious display. Verres in the youth of Cicero, Catiline and Clodius in his middle age, Mark Antony in his old age, have all been left to operate on the modern reader's feelings precisely through that masquerade of misrepresentation which invariably accompanied the political eloquence of Rome.
- An assembly of varied, often fanciful, things.
- A cosplay event at which costumed attendees perform skits.
- A dramatic performance by actors in masks; a mask or masque.
- A Spanish entertainment or military exercise in which squadrons of horses charge at each other, the riders fighting with bucklers and canes.
verb masquerades · masquerading · masqueraded
- To take part in a masquerade; to assemble in masks and costumes; (loosely) to wear a disguise. I’m going to masquerade as an old-fashioned pilot. What are you going to dress up as?
- To pass oneself off as a different person or a person with qualities that one does not possess; also, to make a pretentious show of being what one is not. He masqueraded as my friend until the truth finally came out.
- To appear as something else. A Foundation outpost masquerading as an abandoned home has been established within the vicinity of SCP-2003.
- To conceal (someone) with, or as if with, a mask; to disguise.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: fancy dress, masque, mask, pose, masquerade costume, farce, combination, cover-up, parody, sham, travesty, mockery, fake, charade, mascarade, maskerade
Translations
Every language
noun party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
| Español | mascarada |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 가면무도회 gamyeonmudohoe, 매스커레이드 maeseukeoreideu |
| 日本語 | 仮面舞踏会 kamen budōkai, マスカレイド masukareido |
| 中文 | 面具舞會 /面具舞会 miànjù wǔhuì, 化妝舞會 /化妆舞会 huàzhuāng wǔhuì |
| Português | baile de máscaras |
| Français | bal masqué, mascarade |
| Deutsch | Maskenspiel, Maskerade |
| Italiano | mascherata, ballo in maschera, festa in costume |
| Română | mascaradă |
| Русский | маскара́д maskarád, бал-маскара́д bal-maskarád |
| עברית | נֶשֶׁף מַסֵּכוֹת nèshef masekhót, מְסִבַּת תַּחְפֹּשׂוֹת mesibàt takhposót |
noun act of living under false pretenses; concealment of something by a false or unreal show — see also disguise, pretence
| Español | mascarada |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | छद्मवेश chadmaveś, छद्म chadma |
| Deutsch | Maskerade |
| Italiano | farsa, sceneggiata, pagliacciata |
| Русский | маскара́д maskarád |
verb to conceal with masks
| 日本語 | 成りすます narisumasu, 装う yosōu |
|---|---|
| Português | mascarar |
| Italiano | travestirsi, mascherarsi |
| Русский | маскирова́ться maskirovátʹsja, замаскирова́ться zamaskirovátʹsja |
| العربية | تَنَكَّرَ tanakkara |
verb to frolic or disport in disguise
| Français | déguiser |
|---|---|
| Italiano | spacciarsi, travestirsi |
| Русский | переодева́ться pereodevátʹsja, переоде́ться pereodétʹsja |
Talk about this word "masquerade." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/masquerade. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. masquerade. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/masquerade "masquerade." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/masquerade.Cite this
@misc{masquerade_2026,
title = {masquerade},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/masquerade},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
