What does "disguise" mean?
Material (such as clothing, makeup, a wig) used to alter one’s visual appearance in order to hide one's identity or assume another.
Disguise
/dɪsˈɡaɪz/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Material (such as clothing, makeup, a wig) used to alter one’s visual appearance in order to hide one's identity or assume another.
- Grammar: disguise is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: camouflage, guise, mask, mask.
- Useful contrasts: dominant signal, notable exhibit, plain color pattern.
- Usage evidence: I'm planning to disguise myself as a doctor.
How to use "disguise"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "disguise" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "disguise" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "disguise" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "disguise" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "disguise" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "camouflage" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "disguise", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Material (such as clothing, makeup, a wig) used to alter one’s visual appearance in order to hide one's identity or assume another. countable, uncountable
"A cape and moustache completed his disguise."
- 2 the act of concealing the identity of something by modifying its appearance wordnet
- 3 The appearance of something on the outside which masks what’s beneath. countable, figuratively, uncountable
- 4 any attire that modifies the appearance in order to conceal the wearer's identity wordnet
- 5 The act or state of disguising, notably as a ploy. countable, uncountable
"Any disguise may expose soldiers to be deemed enemy spies."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 an outward semblance that misrepresents the true nature of something wordnet
- 7 A change of behaviour resulting from intoxication, drunkenness. archaic, countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To change the appearance of (a person or thing) so as to hide, or to assume an identity. transitive
"Spies often disguise themselves."
- 2 make unrecognizable wordnet
- 3 To transform or disfigure, to change the appearance of in general. obsolete, transitive
- 4 To avoid giving away or revealing (something secret); to hide by a false appearance. transitive
"He disguised his true intentions."
- 5 To dress in newfangled or showy clothing, to deck out in new fashions. obsolete, transitive
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To dissemble, to talk or act falsely while concealing one’s thoughts. intransitive, obsolete
- 7 To affect or change by liquor; to intoxicate. archaic, transitive
"I have just left the right worshipful, and his myrmidons, about a sneaker or five gallons; the whole magistracy was pretty well disguised before I gave them the slip."
Antonyms
Example
"I'm planning to disguise myself as a doctor."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "disguise"?
Common synonyms include: camouflage, guise, mask, mask, pretense, accouter.
How do you use "disguise" in a sentence?
I'm planning to disguise myself as a doctor.
How do you pronounce "disguise"?
Pronounced /dɪsˈɡaɪz/.
Etymology
From Middle English disgisen, disguisen, borrowed from Old French desguiser (modern French déguiser), itself derived from des- (“dis-”) (from Latin dis-) + guise (“guise”) (from a Germanic source).