Meaning & use
masquerade ball
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Meaning
nouncountable
A formal dance or party at which guests wear masks and often elaborate costumes so that their identities are hidden.
Grammar: Used with an or the: they held a masquerade ball.
Patterns
- go to a masquerade ball
- host a masquerade ball
- a masquerade ball for something
Everyone at the masquerade ball wore a mask, so it took ages to recognize my cousin.
The school hosted a masquerade ball to raise money for the music department.
She bought a velvet gown and a feathered mask for the masquerade ball in Venice.
Word forms
| plural | masquerade balls |
|---|
Common combinations
- host a masquerade ball
- The mayor hosts a masquerade ball every winter at the town hall.
- attend a masquerade ball
- We attended a masquerade ball held in an old castle.
- masquerade ball mask
- Her masquerade ball mask was decorated with gold paint.
- lavish masquerade ball
- The lavish masquerade ball lasted until dawn.
- charity masquerade ball
- A charity masquerade ball raised thousands for the local hospital.
Synonyms and how they differ
- masked ball
- It means almost the same thing and is a little more traditional, while masquerade ball sounds a touch more theatrical.
- costume party
- A costume party need not involve masks or formal dancing, so it is a broader and more casual event.
- fancy-dress ball
- This is the British term for a dance where guests wear costumes, but faces need not be hidden.
Word family
- masquerade noun
- a party where people wear masks, or a false show
- masquerade verb
- to pretend to be someone or something else
- masquerader noun
- a person who wears a mask or disguise at such an event
- mask noun
- a covering for the face
Commonly confused: masquerade ball or marquee?
masquerade ball vs marquee
A marquee is a large tent used for outdoor events. It sounds a little like masquerade but has no link to masks.
Practice
At the masquerade ball, nobody could tell who Tom was because he was ___.
Choose one answer.
The point of a masquerade ball is that guests hide their identities, usually with masks. The other options do not hide anyone's face.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “masquerade ball”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.