noun · verb · 15 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌmæskəˈɹeɪd/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈmæskəˌɹeɪd/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌmɑːs-/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈmɑːs-/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, General-American:/ˌmæskəˈɹeɪd/
Canada, General-American:/ˈmæskəˌɹeɪd/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/ˌmæskəˈɹæɪd/
Australian:/ˈmæskəˌɹæɪd/
Australian:/ˌmɐːs-/
Australian:/ˈmɐːs-/
rhymes with -eɪd
CMU ARPABET:M AE2 S K ER0 EY1 D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An assembly or party of people wearing (usually elaborate or fanciful) masks and costumes, and amusing themselves with dancing, conversation, or other diversions.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, attributive
Examples
Near-synonym: costume party
I was invited to the masquerade at their home.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: masque, costume party
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The act of wearing a mask or dressing up in a costume for, or as if for, a masquerade ball.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, attributive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An act of living under false pretenses; a concealment of something by a false or unreal show; a disguise, a pretence; also, a pretentious display.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, attributive, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
An assembly of varied, often fanciful, things.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, attributive, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A cosplay event at which costumed attendees perform skits.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, attributive, slang
Topics: lifestyle
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A dramatic performance by actors in masks; a mask or masque.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, attributive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A Spanish entertainment or military exercise in which squadrons of horses charge at each other, the riders fighting with bucklers and canes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, attributive, obsolete, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
verb
Meaning 8
To take part in a masquerade; to assemble in masks and costumes; (loosely) to wear a disguise.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, attributive, intransitive
Examples
I’m going to masquerade as an old-fashioned pilot. What are you going to dress up as?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
verb
Meaning 9
To pass oneself off as a different person or a person with qualities that one does not possess; also, to make a pretentious show of being what one is not.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
pretend to be someone or something that you are not
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he is masquerading as an expert on the internet
This silly novel is masquerading as a serious historical treaty
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: pose, impersonate, personate
15
verb
Meaning 15
take part in a masquerade
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: disguise, mask
History
Etymology
The noun is borrowed from Middle French mascarade, masquarade, masquerade (modern French mascarade (“masquerade, masque; farce”)), and its etymon Italian mascherata (“masquerade”), from maschera (“mask”) + -ata. Maschera is derived from Medieval Latin masca (“mask”): see further there. The English word is cognate with Late Latin masquarata, Portuguese mascarada, Spanish mascarada. The verb is derived from the noun.
Across languages
Translations
85 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
դիմակահանդես
(dimakahandes)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Belarusian:
маскара́д
(maskarád)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Belarusian:
бал-маскара́д
(bal-maskarád)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Bulgarian:
маскара́д
(maskarád)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Catalan:
mascarada
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Chinese Mandarin:
面具舞會 /面具舞会
(miànjù wǔhuì)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Chinese Mandarin:
化妝舞會 /化妆舞会
(huàzhuāng wǔhuì)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Czech:
maškaráda
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Esperanto:
maskerado
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Esperanto:
maskitaro
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Estonian:
maskeraad
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Estonian:
maskiball
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Finnish:
naamiaiset
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
French:
bal masqué
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
French:
mascarade
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Georgian:
მასკარადი
(masḳaradi)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
German:
Maskenspiel
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
German:
Maskerade
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Hebrew:
נֶשֶׁף מַסֵּכוֹת
(nèshef masekhót)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Hebrew:
מְסִבַּת תַּחְפֹּשׂוֹת
(mesibàt takhposót)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Hungarian:
maszkabál
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Hungarian:
álarcosbál
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Italian:
mascherata
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Italian:
ballo in maschera
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Italian:
festa in costume
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Japanese:
仮面舞踏会
(kamen budōkai)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Japanese:
マスカレイド
(masukareido)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Korean:
가면무도회
(gamyeonmudohoe)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Korean:
매스커레이드
(maeseukeoreideu)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Latvian:
maskarāde
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Lithuanian:
maskaradas
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Macedonian:
маскенбал
(maskenbal)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Macedonian:
маскара́да
(maskaráda)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Mongolian:
багт наадам
(bagt naadam)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Persian:
بالماسکه
(bâlmâske)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Polish:
maskarada
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Polish:
bal przebierańców
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Portuguese:
baile de máscaras
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Romanian:
mascaradă
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Russian:
маскара́д
(maskarád)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Russian:
бал-маскара́д
(bal-maskarád)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Serbo-Croatian:
маскара́да
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Serbo-Croatian:
ма̀скенба̄л
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Serbo-Croatian:
maskaráda
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Serbo-Croatian:
màskenbāl
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Slovak:
maškaráda
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Slovene:
maškarada
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Spanish:
mascarada
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Swedish:
maskerad
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Turkish:
kıyafet balosu
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Turkish:
maskeli balo
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Ukrainian:
маскара́д
(maskarád)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Ukrainian:
бал-маскара́д
(bal-maskarád)
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
Walloon:
mascaråde
— party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes
German:
Maskerade
— act of living under false pretenses; concealment of something by a false or unreal show — see also disguise, pretence
Hindi:
छद्मवेश
(chadmaveś)
— act of living under false pretenses; concealment of something by a false or unreal show — see also disguise, pretence
Hindi:
छद्म
(chadma)
— act of living under false pretenses; concealment of something by a false or unreal show — see also disguise, pretence
Italian:
farsa
— act of living under false pretenses; concealment of something by a false or unreal show — see also disguise, pretence
Italian:
sceneggiata
— act of living under false pretenses; concealment of something by a false or unreal show — see also disguise, pretence
Italian:
pagliacciata
— act of living under false pretenses; concealment of something by a false or unreal show — see also disguise, pretence
Polish:
maskarada
— act of living under false pretenses; concealment of something by a false or unreal show — see also disguise, pretence
Russian:
маскара́д
(maskarád)
— act of living under false pretenses; concealment of something by a false or unreal show — see also disguise, pretence
Serbo-Croatian:
маскара́да
— act of living under false pretenses; concealment of something by a false or unreal show — see also disguise, pretence
Serbo-Croatian:
maskaráda
— act of living under false pretenses; concealment of something by a false or unreal show — see also disguise, pretence
Spanish:
mascarada
— act of living under false pretenses; concealment of something by a false or unreal show — see also disguise, pretence
Serbo-Croatian:
маскара́да
— assembly of varied, often fanciful, things
Serbo-Croatian:
maskaráda
— assembly of varied, often fanciful, things
Serbo-Croatian:
маскара́да
— cosplay event at which costumed attendees perform skits
Serbo-Croatian:
maskaráda
— cosplay event at which costumed attendees perform skits
Arabic:
تَنَكَّرَ
(tanakkara)
— to conceal with masks
Bulgarian:
маскирам се
(maskiram se)
— to conceal with masks
Indonesian:
menyamar
— to conceal with masks
Italian:
travestirsi
— to conceal with masks
Italian:
mascherarsi
— to conceal with masks
Japanese:
成りすます
(narisumasu)
— to conceal with masks
Japanese:
装う
(yosōu)
— to conceal with masks
Macedonian:
маски́ра
(maskíra)
— to conceal with masks
Portuguese:
mascarar
— to conceal with masks
Russian:
маскирова́ться
(maskirovátʹsja)
— to conceal with masks
Russian:
замаскирова́ться
(zamaskirovátʹsja)
— to conceal with masks
French:
déguiser
— to frolic or disport in disguise
Italian:
spacciarsi
— to frolic or disport in disguise
Italian:
travestirsi
— to frolic or disport in disguise
Russian:
переодева́ться
(pereodevátʹsja)
— to frolic or disport in disguise
Russian:
переоде́ться
(pereodétʹsja)
— to frolic or disport in disguise
