MEANING
To hide one’s true feelings, intentions, or knowledge behind a misleading appearance.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- dissemble one’s feelings
- continue to dissemble
On the page
She dissembled her anger behind a courteous smile.
He continued to dissemble even after the letters were found.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- dissemble
- Past tense
- dissembled
- Past participle
- dissembled
- Present participle
- dissembling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- dissemble
- Present continuous
- am/is/are dissembling
- Present perfect
- have/has dissembled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been dissembling
- Past
- dissembled
- Past continuous
- was/were dissembling
- Past perfect
- had dissembled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been dissembling
- Future
- will dissemble
- Future continuous
- will be dissembling
- Future perfect
- will have dissembled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been dissembling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: dissemble; dissembles; dissembled; dissembled; dissembling Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: dissembles.
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