dissembling
Hiding true intentions
Dissembling is concealing one's true feelings, motives, or beliefs behind a false appearance.
Where lying involves false statements, dissembling works through misdirection, omission, or performance: His friendly manner was pure dissembling—he was gathering evidence against us.
A dissembling person may never speak an outright falsehood while creating entirely false impressions.
Deliberate misleading behavior
- guileSly, strategic dishonesty
- deceitDeliberate misleading of others
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
- artificeClever deceptive strategy
cunning · trickery · dishonesty · chicanery · fraudulence · slyness · craftiness · wiliness
Lack of genuine feeling
- two-facednessDeceitful pretense of friendship
- sanctimonyFeigned moral superiority
- cantSanctimonious insincerity
- lip serviceInsincere expression of agreement
crocodile tears · duplicitousness · empty promises · saying one thing
Deceptive outward show
- charadeAbsurd or obvious pretense
- masqueradeDeceptive act or costume party
- guiseExternal manner shown
- veneerDecorative outer layer
front · show · affectation · pose · appearance · false impression · outward show · window dressing
Simulating what isn't real
- fakingSimulating something false
- simulatingArtificially replicating something
- actingTemporarily holding position
- bluffingDeceiving about one's position
shamming · posturing · affecting · counterfeiting · playacting · putting on · dissimulating · impersonating
Concealing by covering
- hidingStaying out of sight
- cloakingAct of hiding something
- veilingConcealing with covering
- disguisingConcealing by altered appearance
camouflaging · shrouding · obscuring · screening · covering · burying · suppressing · concealment
Speaking with deliberate ambiguity
- prevaricatingAvoiding direct honesty
- hedgingNoncommittal maneuvering
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
- deflectingTurning from original path
dodging · weaseling · obfuscation · evasiveness · circumlocution · skirting · parrying · stonewalling
duplicity
Deliberate misleading behavior
- guileSly, strategic dishonesty
- deceitDeliberate misleading of others
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
artifice · cunning · trickery · dishonesty · chicanery · fraudulence · slyness · craftiness · wiliness · double-dealing
insincerity
Lack of genuine feeling
- two-facednessDeceitful pretense of friendship
- sanctimonyFeigned moral superiority
- cantSanctimonious insincerity
lip service · crocodile tears · duplicitousness · empty promises · saying one thing
pretense
Deceptive outward show
- charadeAbsurd or obvious pretense
- masqueradeDeceptive act or costume party
- guiseExternal manner shown
veneer · front · show · affectation · pose · appearance · false impression · outward show · window dressing · false face
pretending
Simulating what isn't real
- fakingSimulating something false
- simulatingArtificially replicating something
- actingTemporarily holding position
bluffing · shamming · posturing · affecting · counterfeiting · playacting · putting on · dissimulating · impersonating · role-playing
masking
Concealing by covering
disguising · camouflaging · shrouding · obscuring · screening · covering · burying · suppressing · concealment · obfuscating
equivocating
Speaking with deliberate ambiguity
- prevaricatingAvoiding direct honesty
- hedgingNoncommittal maneuvering
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
deflecting · dodging · weaseling · obfuscation · evasiveness · circumlocution · skirting · parrying · stonewalling · misdirecting
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- deceptionslie, lies, lying, deceit, decoy
- falsehoodslie, lies, lying, fib, fibbing
- insincerityinsincerity, phoniness, fakeness, falseness, pretense
- pretendingpretend, pretending, fake, feign, make-believe
- hypocrisyhypocrisy, hypocrite, sanctimony, two-faced, self-righteousness
assemble, assembly, resemble, assembled, simulation, assembling, resembling, semblance, assemblies