Library / English Dictionary

DISSEMBLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make believe with the intent to deceive

Example:

He shammed a headache

Synonyms:

affect; dissemble; feign; pretend; sham

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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:

Behave unnaturally or affectedly

Example:

She's just acting

Synonyms:

act; dissemble; pretend

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

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

Sense 3

Meaning:

Hide under a false appearance

Example:

He masked his disappointment

Synonyms:

cloak; dissemble; mask

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

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

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