Meaning & use
masked
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“masked” is a form of “mask”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Wearing a mask over the face so that others cannot see who you are.
Grammar: Often comes before a noun: a masked man; also after a verb: he was masked.
Patterns
- a masked man
- masked and cloaked
A masked figure stepped onto the stage and the crowd gasped.
Two masked men were seen leaving the shop.
The guests arrived masked for the costume ball.
adjectivebefore a nounfigurative
Hidden or disguised so that it is not easily noticed, said of feelings, flavors or signs.
Grammar: Usually before the thing hidden: masked anger, masked symptoms.
Patterns
- masked by something
Her masked disappointment showed only in a tight smile.
The strong sauce left the fish's flavor masked.
A fever can be masked by medicine, so the illness goes unnoticed.
adjectivebefore a noun
Protected with a mask or cover during a task such as painting, surgery or using chemicals.
Grammar: Often describes a person or area: a masked worker, a masked area of the wall.
Patterns
- masked area
Masked workers sprayed the room with disinfectant.
The masked edges of the window stayed clean of paint.
Surgeons in a masked team moved quickly through the procedure.
Common combinations
- masked ball
- They attended a masked ball in a grand hall.
- masked man
- A masked man ran from the bank.
- masked gunman
- News reported a masked gunman near the station.
- masked emotion
- His masked emotion made him hard to read.
- thinly masked
- She replied with thinly masked irritation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- disguised
- Disguised suggests changing your whole appearance, while masked usually means just covering the face.
- veiled
- Veiled suggests a thin or half-hidden covering, often of words or meaning, whereas masked can mean fully hidden.
- concealed
- Concealed is more general and can describe anything hidden, not only through a mask.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: masked or masquerade?
masked vs masquerade
A masquerade is a party where people wear masks, or a false show; masked only says that a mask is worn.
Practice
In which sentence is masked used figuratively?
Choose one answer.
Only the second sentence uses masked for a feeling being hidden. The others describe an actual mask worn on the face.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “masked”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.