English Dictionary |
DISSEMBLE
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
IPA (US): |
Dictionary entry overview: What does dissemble mean?
• DISSEMBLE (verb)
The verb DISSEMBLE has 3 senses:
1. make believe with the intent to deceive
2. hide under a false appearance
3. behave unnaturally or affectedly
Familiarity information: DISSEMBLE used as a verb is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
Conjugation: |
Past simple: dissembled
Past participle: dissembled
-ing form: dissembling
Sense 1
Meaning:
Make believe with the intent to deceive
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Synonyms:
affect; dissemble; feign; pretend; sham
Context example:
He shammed a headache
Hypernyms (to "dissemble" is one way to...):
belie; misrepresent (represent falsely)
Verb group:
make; make believe; pretend (represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dissemble"):
play possum (to pretend to be dead)
take a dive (pretend to be knocked out, as of a boxer)
bull; bullshit; fake; talk through one's hat (speak insincerely or without regard for facts or truths)
mouth (articulate silently; form words with the lips only)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE
Derivation:
dissembler (a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives)
dissembling (pretending with intention to deceive)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Hide under a false appearance
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Synonyms:
Context example:
He masked his disappointment
Hypernyms (to "dissemble" is one way to...):
disguise; mask (make unrecognizable)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Sense 3
Meaning:
Behave unnaturally or affectedly
Classified under:
Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing
Synonyms:
Context example:
She's just acting
Verb group:
act; behave; do (behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dissemble"):
assume; feign; sham; simulate (make a pretence of)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Context examples
But in this, our last interview of friendship, I approached her with a sense of guilt that almost took from me the power of dissembling.
(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)
You can hardly doubt the purport of my discourse, however your natural delicacy may lead you to dissemble; my attentions have been too marked to be mistaken.
(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)
Learn English with... Proverbs |
"It is easier for the son to ask from the father than for the father to ask from the son" (Breton proverb)
"Laughing for no reason is rude." (Arabic proverb)
"Where there is smoke, there is fire too." (Croatian proverb)