Word: dissemble (verb)

Associations

The word "dissemble" means to hide your true feelings, thoughts, or intentions. It is often used when someone pretends to be something they are not or tries to give a false impression.

• "She tried to dissemble her disappointment with a smile." Here, someone hides how sad or disappointed they really feel.
• "The spy dissembled his real identity to avoid being caught." This means the spy pretended to be someone else.
• "Politicians sometimes dissemble to avoid answering difficult questions." They hide their true opinions or plans.

A well-known synonym is "pretend." The difference is that "dissemble" often implies hiding something deliberately, especially feelings or intentions, while "pretend" can be more general and playful.

Substitution

You can replace "dissemble" with:

• "hide" (more general, less formal)
• "mask" (focuses on covering emotions)
• "feign" (means to fake something, often feelings)
• "pretend" (less serious, more general)

For example, "dissemble her feelings" can also be "mask her feelings" or "hide her feelings," but "feign" usually adds the idea of faking something specific.

Deconstruction

"Dissemble" comes from Latin "dis-" meaning "apart" or "away," and "simulare," meaning "to simulate" or "to pretend." So, it literally means "to pretend apart," or to put on a false appearance.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you or someone else had to dissemble feelings to avoid hurting someone?
• How is dissembling different from simply not saying something?
• Why might someone choose to dissemble instead of being honest?