noun
masquerade
mas-kuh-RAYD
noun
1
A party or ball where guests wear masks and costumes.
"They danced the night away at the Venetian masquerade."
"Tickets to the masquerade sold out within days."
2
A false show or pretence that conceals the truth.
"His friendliness was just a masquerade to win her trust."
verb
1
To pretend to be someone or something one is not.
"The scammer masqueraded as a bank employee."
How to Use Masquerade
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA costume ball, or more broadly, a deceptive pretence.
Common pairings
masquerade ball
masquerade as
a masquerade of
Word Forms
masqueraded past tense, masquerades plural, masquerades singular
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They danced the night away at the Venetian _____.
Etymology
From French mascarade, from Italian mascherata, ultimately from the same root as "mask."