dissemble

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /dɪˈsɛmbəl/ See IPA manual

verb Freq #65505

Meanings

1

verb
To hide your true feelings or intentions by pretending.

He tried to dissemble his disappointment with a forced smile.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to hide your true feelings... sham mask feign

Word family

Forms dissembleddissemblesdissembling

Derived forms dissemblerdissemblinglyundissembledundissembling

Etymology

First attested in the beginning of the 15th century, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English dissemblen, dissimblen, dissemelen, borrowed from Old French dessambler, dissembler, disembler, itself borrowed from Latin dissimulō and modified after sembler, semblance, etc. Doublet of dissimulate, dissimilate, and dissimule. Displaced native Old English mīþan.

*sem- Proto-Indo-European dissemblen Middle English dissembler Old French dissimulō Latin

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Topics

Describing Qualities

# dissemble

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** dɪˈsɛmbəl
**Frequency rank:** 65505

## Meanings
1. To hide your true feelings or intentions by pretending.

## Examples
- He tried to dissemble his disappointment with a forced smile.

## Derived Forms
- dissembler
- dissemblingly
- undissembled
- undissembling

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *sem-
- Root: dissemblen
- Root: dissembler
- Root: dissimulō

## Etymology
First attested in the beginning of the 15th century, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English dissemblen, dissimblen, dissemelen, borrowed from Old French dessambler, dissembler, disembler, itself borrowed from Latin dissimulō and modified after sembler, semblance, etc. Doublet of dissimulate, dissimilate, and dissimule. Displaced native Old English mīþan.

## AI Etymology
Dissemble is first attested in the beginning of the 15th century, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English dissemblen, dissimblen, dissemelen, borrowed from Old French dessambler, dissembler, disembler, itself borrowed from Latin dissimulō and modified after sembler, semblance, etc. Doublet of dissimulate, dissimilate, and dissimule. Displaced native Old English mīþan. Important recorded forms include *sem- (Proto-Indo-European), dissemblen (Middle English), dissembler (Old French), and dissimulō (Latin). Current senses include to hide your true feelings or intentions by pretending. The wider family includes derived forms such as dissembler, dissemblingly, undissembled, and undissembling.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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