Words / C2

di-SEMBL/dɪˈsembl/

Dissemble means hide true feelings or intentions: he was dissembling; do not dissemble. Lie is blunter; feign is pretend a feeling. Dissemble is formal and often about a polite mask. Reveal is the opposite move.

Meaning

To hide your true feelings or intentions (formal).

Examples

• “He smiled, but he was dissembling.”
• “She did not dissemble her boredom after the third hour.”
• “Diplomats are trained to dissemble without looking shifty.”

Good to know

dissemble (formal) = mask feeling/intent. Blunter: lie. Pretend a feeling: feign.

New