dissimulate

[ dih-sim-yuh-leyt ]
See synonyms for dissimulate on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),dis·sim·u·lat·ed, dis·sim·u·lat·ing.
  1. to disguise or conceal under a false appearance; dissemble: to dissimulate one's true feelings about a rival.

verb (used without object),dis·sim·u·lat·ed, dis·sim·u·lat·ing.
  1. to conceal one's true motives, thoughts, etc., by some pretense; speak or act hypocritically.

Origin of dissimulate

1
First recorded in 1525–35, dissimulate is from the Latin word dissimulātus (past participle of dissimulāre to feign). See dis-1, simulate

Other words from dissimulate

  • dis·sim·u·la·tive, adjective
  • dis·sim·u·la·tor, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use dissimulate in a sentence

  • He was no inveterate talker, like Sydney Smith; no clever dissimulator, like Mr. Hook.

    The Wits and Beaux of Society | Grace & Philip Wharton
  • The arch-dissimulator boasts many titles, but one that bars all thy claims.

  • Jurez is a cautious, cunning Indian, a profound dissimulator, a skilful politician.

    The Rebel Chief | Gustave Aimard
  • "Yet we were friends for years," declared the dissimulator, folding his hands with a dreary shake of his head.

    Cynthia Wakeham's Money | Anna Katharine Green
  • "It is not the trout one thinks of when one dines with Mrs. Dale," said the infamous dissimulator.

    My Novel, Complete | Edward Bulwer-Lytton

British Dictionary definitions for dissimulate

dissimulate

/ (dɪˈsɪmjʊˌleɪt) /


verb
  1. to conceal (one's real feelings) by pretence

Derived forms of dissimulate

  • dissimulation, noun
  • dissimulative, adjective
  • dissimulator, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012