Guise

//ˈɡaɪz// name, noun, verb

name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A customary way of speaking or acting; a fashion, a manner, a practice (often used formerly in such phrases as "at his own guise"; that is, in his own fashion, to suit himself.)

    "1924, Aristotle. Metaphysics. Translated by W. D. Ross. Nashotah, Wisconsin, USA: The Classical Library, 2001. Aristotle. Metaphysics. Book 1, Part 5. dialecticians and sophists assume the same guise as the philosopher"

  2. 2
    Deliberate misspelling of guys. Internet, alt-of, deliberate, misspelling, plural, plural-only

    "Sup guise? — What's up, guys?"

  3. 3
    an artful or simulated semblance wordnet
  4. 4
    An external appearance in manner or dress; an appropriate indication or expression; a garb; a shape.
  5. 5
    A misleading appearance; a cover, a cloak.

    "Under the guise of patriotism"

Verb
  1. 1
    To dress. archaic, transitive
  2. 2
    To act as a guiser; to go dressed up in a parade etc. archaic, intransitive
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.

Synonyms

All synonyms
actactionactionsactivityactsaddress

Example

More examples

"The theory of games shows that what we name "moral principles" are no other than the strategy elements enabling the group to optimise its survival. Men like to dress their eagerness under the guise of charity."

Etymology

From Middle English guise, gise, gyse, from Old French guisse, guise, vise (“guise, manner, way”), from Old Frankish *wīsa (“manner, way, fashion”), from Proto-Germanic *wīsǭ (“manner, way”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see, view, behold, perceive”). Cognate with Old High German wīsa (“way, manner”), Old English wīse (“way, manner”), Dutch wijze (“way, manner”). More at wise.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.