Dissemble
/dɪˈsɛmbl/
verbC2
Definition
To dissemble is to hide what you really think or feel. It means you act or speak in a way that is not true to your real thoughts or emotions, often to avoid trouble or to trick others. It is like putting on a mask to cover your true self.
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See It in Action
To hide true feelings or thoughts by acting differently
- •She dissembled her disappointment with a smile.
- •He dissembled his nervousness during the interview.
- •Politicians sometimes dissemble to avoid answering difficult questions.
To give a false appearance or pretend
- •The criminal tried to dissemble innocence.
- •He dissembled confidence, but he was very scared.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "dissemble" like "hide," but instead of hiding something physical, you hide your real feelings or thoughts.
- ✓Picture someone wearing a mask at a party, smiling but feeling sad inside.
- ✓It's the feeling when you say "I'm fine" but inside you feel upset or worried.
- ✓Sounds like "dis-SIM-bull" → imagine a bull that looks calm but is actually ready to charge inside.
- ✓In stories, spies or actors often dissemble to keep secrets or pretend to be someone else.
- ✓NOT like "tell" (which means to show or say the truth), dissemble means to hide the truth.
- ✓NOT like "lie" (which is saying something untrue), dissemble can include hiding feelings without speaking.
- ✓NOT like "pretend" (which can be playful), dissemble usually means hiding for serious or secret reasons.
Try Other Words
- •Pretend: to act as if something is true when it is not (Use when the action is more playful or obvious)
- •Conceal: to keep something secret or hidden (Use when focusing on keeping facts or feelings secret)
- •Fake: to make something false appear real (Use when the false appearance is obvious or artificial)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: "dis-" means apart, away, or not
- •Root: "semble" comes from Old French "sembler," meaning to seem or appear
- •Etymology: From Latin "dissimulare," meaning to disguise or hide feelings
- •Historical development: Originally meant to pretend or feign to hide true thoughts; used in English since the 1500s
- •Modern usage: Used mainly in formal or literary contexts to describe hiding true feelings or intentions
Reflect & Connect
•Why might someone choose to dissemble instead of telling the truth?
•Can dissembling be helpful or harmful in different situations? How do you decide?
Fill in the blanks
1.She dissembled her anger by ___ a calm face during the meeting.
2.When asked about the mistake, he dissembled ___ his real involvement.
3.Unlike simple lying, to dissemble means to hide feelings or thoughts without ___ directly.
4.Politicians often dissemble ___ difficult questions to avoid losing support.
5.He tried to dissemble confidence, but his hands were shaking ___.
6.Dissembling can sometimes help avoid ___, but it may also cause problems later.
7.You can tell someone is dissembling when their words ___ their true feelings.