dissemble

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Related to dissemble: lie, prevaricate, take apart

dissemble

talk or act hypocritically; disguise or conceal

Not to be confused with:

disassemble – take to pieces; take apart

dis·sem·ble

(dĭ-sĕm′bəl)

v. dis·sem·bled, dis·sem·bling, dis·sem·bles

v.intr.

To disguise or conceal one's real nature, motives, or feelings behind a false appearance.

v.tr.

To disguise or conceal behind a false appearance. See Synonyms at disguise.

[Middle English dissemblen, from Old French dessembler, to be different : des-, dis- + sembler, to appear, seem; see semblable.]

dis·sem′blance n.

dis·sem′bler n.

dis·sem′bling·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

dissemble

(dɪˈsɛmbəl)

1. to conceal (one's real motives, emotions, etc) by pretence

2. (tr) to pretend; simulate

3. obsolete to ignore

[C15: from earlier dissimulen, from Latin dissimulāre; probably influenced by obsolete semble to resemble]

disˈsemblance n

disˈsembler n

disˈsembling n, adj

disˈsemblingly adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dis•sem•ble

(dɪˈsɛm bəl)

v. -bled, -bling. v.t.

1. to give a false or misleading appearance to.

2. to put on the appearance of; feign.

v.i.

3. to conceal one's true motives, thoughts, etc., by some pretense; speak or act hypocritically.

[1490–1500; alter. (by association with obsolete semble to resemble) of Middle English dissimulen < Latin dissimulāre. See dis-¹, simulate]

dis•sem′bler, n.

dis•sem′bling•ly, adv.

dissemble

Past participle: dissembled
Gerund: dissembling

Imperative
dissemble
dissemble

Present
I dissemble
you dissemble
he/she/it dissembles
we dissemble
you dissemble
they dissemble

Preterite
I dissembled
you dissembled
he/she/it dissembled
we dissembled
you dissembled
they dissembled

Present Continuous
I am dissembling
you are dissembling
he/she/it is dissembling
we are dissembling
you are dissembling
they are dissembling

Present Perfect
I have dissembled
you have dissembled
he/she/it has dissembled
we have dissembled
you have dissembled
they have dissembled

Past Continuous
I was dissembling
you were dissembling
he/she/it was dissembling
we were dissembling
you were dissembling
they were dissembling

Past Perfect
I had dissembled
you had dissembled
he/she/it had dissembled
we had dissembled
you had dissembled
they had dissembled

Future
I will dissemble
you will dissemble
he/she/it will dissemble
we will dissemble
you will dissemble
they will dissemble

Future Perfect
I will have dissembled
you will have dissembled
he/she/it will have dissembled
we will have dissembled
you will have dissembled
they will have dissembled

Future Continuous
I will be dissembling
you will be dissembling
he/she/it will be dissembling
we will be dissembling
you will be dissembling
they will be dissembling

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been dissembling
you have been dissembling
he/she/it has been dissembling
we have been dissembling
you have been dissembling
they have been dissembling

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been dissembling
you will have been dissembling
he/she/it will have been dissembling
we will have been dissembling
you will have been dissembling
they will have been dissembling

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been dissembling
you had been dissembling
he/she/it had been dissembling
we had been dissembling
you had been dissembling
they had been dissembling

Conditional
I would dissemble
you would dissemble
he/she/it would dissemble
we would dissemble
you would dissemble
they would dissemble

Past Conditional
I would have dissembled
you would have dissembled
he/she/it would have dissembled
we would have dissembled
you would have dissembled
they would have dissembled

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Verb	1.	dissemble - make believe with the intent to deceive; "He feigned that he was ill"; "He shammed a headache" feign, pretend, sham, affect misrepresent, belie - represent falsely; "This statement misrepresents my intentions" make believe, pretend, make - represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like; "She makes like an actress" play possum - to pretend to be dead take a dive - pretend to be knocked out, as of a boxer talk through one's hat, bull, fake - speak insincerely or without regard for facts or truths; "The politician was not well prepared for the debate and faked it" mouth - articulate silently; form words with the lips only; "She mouthed a swear word"
	2.	dissemble - hide under a false appearance; "He masked his disappointment" cloak, mask disguise, mask - make unrecognizable; "The herb masks the garlic taste"; "We disguised our faces before robbing the bank"
	3.	dissemble - behave unnaturally or affectedly; "She's just acting" pretend, act behave, act, do - behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" sham, feign, simulate, assume - make a pretence of; "She assumed indifference, even though she was seething with anger"; "he feigned sleep"

dissemble

verb hide, act, pretend, bluff, be dishonest, dissimulate, conceal or hide or mask your feelings He was not slow to dissemble when it served his purpose.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

dissemble

verb

1. To change or modify so as to prevent recognition of the true identity or character of:

camouflage, disguise, dissimulate, mask, masquerade.

2. To behave affectedly or insincerely or take on a false or misleading appearance of:

act, counterfeit, fake, feign, play-act, pose, pretend, put on, sham, simulate.

Translations

cacher

dissimulare nascondere celare

dissemble

[dɪˈsembl]

A. VT → ocultar, disimular

B. VI → disimular

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

dissemble

[dɪˈsɛmb^əl] vi → dissimuler

dissemble

vt (= cover up) → verbergen; (= feign) → vortäuschen, heucheln

vi (liter) → sich verstellen; (= feign illness) → simulieren

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

dissemble

[dɪˈsɛmbl] vt & vi (liter) → dissimulare

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

"Alas!" said the Farmer, seeing the result; "if that grain had not been heavily insured, I might have had to dissemble my hatred of the Fox."

View in context

I will not dissemble what real pleasure his sight afforded me, nor how strongly I felt the contrast between his person and manners and those of Reginald, to the infinite disadvantage of the latter.

View in context

Epicurus is charged, that he did but dissemble for his credit's sake, when he affirmed there were blessed natures, but such as enjoyed themselves, without having respect to the government of the world.

View in context

So artfully can this people dissemble their sentiments that we had not been able hitherto to distinguish our real from our pretended favourers; but as soon as this Prince began to give evident tokens of his hatred, even in the lifetime of the Emperor, we saw all the courtiers and governors who had treated us with such a show of friendship declare against us, and persecute us as disturbers of the public tranquillity, who had come into Aethiopia with no other intention than to abolish the ancient laws and customs of the country, to sow divisions between father and son, and preach up a revolution.

View in context

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.

View in context

And with an air of spite, which he did not dissemble: "I am unacquainted with these details, will you guarantee their authenticity, monsieur?"

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Robo-MPs that never dissemble or over-claim for expenses and that come up with policies and laws everyone instantly loves.

Robot whisky?! The end is nigh - leader comment

Where Trumps agenda repeatedly stands to undermine the authority and standing of international multi-lateral forums, it also seeks to dissemble the larger global humanitarian dialogue by politicising the Human Rights regime in favour of its allies and policies at home.

Petulant Politics In The UN

As we get ready to dissemble our Christmas trees, take a look at page four on how to avoid your home feeling bare after the holidays by adding a pop of colour.

Letter from the EDITOR

The preventative maintenance tool provides a picture of fluid and internal system conditions without users having to dissemble the machine.

CASE offers fluid analysis kit

Case Construction Equipment has released the 4-in-l Systemgard Fluid Analysis Kit--a preventative maintenance tool providing a picture of fluid and internal system conditions without the need for users to dissemble the machine.