Meaning & use
dissemble
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Meanings
verbintransitiveformalliterary
To hide your real thoughts, feelings or intentions by acting as though you feel something else.
Grammar: Usually used without an object: he dissembled when questioned.
Patterns
- dissemble about something
The witness dissembled when asked where he had been that night.
She dissembled so well that nobody guessed she was upset.
Politicians sometimes dissemble to avoid awkward questions.
verbtransitiveformalliterary
To hide or disguise a feeling or fact by pretending it does not exist or is different.
Grammar: Takes an object: she dissembled her anger.
Patterns
- dissemble one's feelings
- dissemble the truth
He tried to dissemble his disappointment with a bright smile.
She dissembled her nervousness during the interview.
The report dissembles the true cost of the project.
Word forms
| third person singular | dissembles |
|---|---|
| past tense | dissembled |
| past participle | dissembled |
| -ing form | dissembling |
Common combinations
- dissemble about
- He dissembled about his plans for the future.
- dissemble one's feelings
- She dissembled her feelings behind a polite smile.
- dissemble skillfully
- The spy dissembled skillfully at the party.
- dissemble the truth
- The spokesman was accused of dissembling the truth.
- refuse to dissemble
- She refused to dissemble and answered honestly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pretend
- Pretend is the plain everyday word and can be playful, while dissemble sounds serious and suggests hiding the truth.
- feign
- Feign means to invent a false feeling or condition, whereas dissemble means to hide what is real.
- conceal
- Conceal just means hiding something, but dissemble involves acting a false part to do so.
- equivocate
- Equivocate means speaking vaguely to avoid committing to the truth, while dissemble covers acting as well as words.
Opposites
Word family
- dissembler noun
- a person who hides their real feelings or intentions
- dissembling noun
- the act of hiding the truth by pretense
- dissemblance noun
- a rare word for pretense or concealment
Commonly confused: dissemble or disassemble? dissemble or resemble?
dissemble vs disassemble
Disassemble means to take something apart, while dissemble means to hide the truth.
dissemble vs resemble
Resemble means to look like, and has nothing to do with deceiving.
Practice
He tried to ___ his anxiety by smiling and joking with the guests.
Choose one answer.
Dissemble means to hide real feelings behind pretense. Disassemble means to take apart, which does not fit feelings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dissemble”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.