Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To disguise or conceal one's real nature, motives, or feelings behind a false appearance.
- intransitive verb To disguise or conceal behind a false appearance. synonym: disguise.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To make unlike; cause to look different; disguise.
- To give a false impression about; cause to seem different or non-existent; mask under a false pretense or deceptive manner.
- To put on the semblance of; simulate; pretend.
- To assume the appearance of; appear like; imitate.
- Synonyms Dissemble, Simulate, Dissimulate Disguise, cloak, cover. (See
hide .) To dissemble is to pretend that a thing which is is not: as, todissemble one's real sentiments. To simulate is to pretend that a thing which is not is: as, tosimulate friendship. To dissimulate is to hide the reality or truth of something under a diverse or contrary appearance: as, todissimulate one's poverty by ostentation. To disguise is to put under a false guise, to keep a thing from being recognized by giving it a false appearance: as, I cannot disguise from myself the fact. Seedissembler and conceal. - To give a false appearance; make a deceptive impression or presentation.
- To assume a false seeming; conceal the real fact, motives, intention, or sentiments under some pretense; mask the truth about one's self.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To conceal the real fact, motives, intention, or sentiments, under some pretense; to assume a false appearance; to act the hypocrite.
- transitive verb To hide under a false semblance or seeming; to feign (something) not to be what it really is; to put an untrue appearance upon; to disguise; to mask.
- transitive verb To put on the semblance of; to make pretense of; to simulate; to feign.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive To
disguise orconceal something; tofeign . - verb transitive To deliberately
ignore something; topretend not tonotice . - verb intransitive To
falsely hide one'sopinions orfeelings .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb behave unnaturally or affectedly
- verb make believe with the intent to deceive
- verb hide under a false appearance
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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I really enjoy it, I like doing it, I like composing music that I can kind of dissemble and say “what are different ways of telling the same musical story but making the middle something that is sorta indeterminate.”
Archive 2008-12-01 Ben Abraham 2008
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I really enjoy it, I like doing it, I like composing music that I can kind of dissemble and say “what are different ways of telling the same musical story but making the middle something that is sorta indeterminate.”
Marty O'Donnell in Interview - Part 2 Ben Abraham 2008
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Use the word, "dissemble" or "disingenuous," if you will, but let's call it what it really is.
Tom D'Antoni: Sen. Clinton's Own Religious Cult Includes Brownback, Santorum 2008
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Waaa-al I dunno, Kerry seems to have read a few books and done some thinking since graduation, Bush on the other hand scowls petulantly and cannot use the word "dissemble" correctly in a sentence - a challenge that my eleven year old niece would sneer at.
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STEWART: Actually, Mr. President, "dissemble" means to not tell the truth.
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Giles Fraser decides to not listen and instead assert (or might we be controvesial and say "dissemble") that the Pope has condemned gay
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But please: can't ever say they lied (the approved usage is "dissemble"), and for Chrissake, don't even think impeachment or criminal proceedings.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED 2009
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Look, everyone knows that presidents care who succeeds them in the Senate, even if they kind of dissemble a little bit or don't tell the whole story? "
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It is not surprising to hear the Bachmann's dissemble.
Wayne Besen: Leading GOP Candidates Run Away From the Gay Wayne Besen 2011
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By 2009, he certainly knew better, but so invested was he in the story, and so useful had it been in his rise, that he continued to dissemble, even before millions of schoolchildren.
Deconstructing Obama Jack Cashill 2011
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