dissimulation
Hiding true intentions
Dissimulation is the concealment of one's true feelings, motives, or beliefs behind a false appearance.
Where simulation creates something that isn't there, dissimulation hides something that is: His friendliness was pure dissimulation—he despised them all.
The word carries connotations of calculated deception rather than casual dishonesty.
Deliberate misleading of others
- duplicityDeliberate misleading behavior
- dishonestyDisposition toward falsehood
- mendacityDisposition to lie
- falsehoodDeliberate untrue statement
untruthfulness · lying · fabrication · prevarication · misrepresentation · falsification · disinformation · equivocation
Face-worn concealment
- facadeDeceptive outward appearance
- disguiseIdentity-concealing alteration
- personaAssumed public identity
- veneerDecorative outer layer
front · cover · false face · exterior · appearance · semblance · pretension · cloak
Shrewd, devious cleverness
- guileSly, strategic dishonesty
- slynessCunning in manner
- artfulnessClever, crafty skill
- wilinessShrewd deceptive cleverness
shrewdness · scheming · manipulation · deviousness · foxiness · machination · contrivance · artifice
Pretending to feel something
- fakingSimulating something false
- shammingFalsely pretending
- actingTemporarily holding position
- playactingInsincere dramatic performance
posturing · affectation · imposture · false front · put-on · charade · show · performance
Staying out of sight
- maskingConcealing by covering
- veilingConcealing with covering
- cloakingAct of hiding something
- disguisingConcealing by altered appearance
suppression · camouflaging · obscuring · shrouding · covering · screening · burying · secreting
deceit
Deliberate misleading of others
- duplicityDeliberate misleading behavior
- dishonestyDisposition toward falsehood
- mendacityDisposition to lie
falsehood · untruthfulness · lying · fabrication · prevarication · misrepresentation · falsification · disinformation · equivocation · double-dealing
mask
Face-worn concealment
- facadeDeceptive outward appearance
- disguiseIdentity-concealing alteration
- personaAssumed public identity
veneer · front · cover · false face · exterior · appearance · semblance · pretension · cloak · veil
craftiness
Shrewd, devious cleverness
- guileSly, strategic dishonesty
- slynessCunning in manner
- artfulnessClever, crafty skill
wiliness · shrewdness · scheming · manipulation · deviousness · foxiness · machination · contrivance · artifice · conniving
feigning
Pretending to feel something
playacting · posturing · affectation · imposture · false front · put-on · charade · show · performance · bluffing
hiding
Staying out of sight
disguising · suppression · camouflaging · obscuring · shrouding · covering · screening · burying · secreting · withholding
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- cunningcunning, craftiness, crafty, guile, slyness
- honestyhonesty, truthfulness, candor, sincerity, dishonesty
- stealthsneak, ninja, creep, spy, skulk
- circumlocutioncircumlocution, indirection, indirectness, roundabout, roundaboutness
- deceptive disorderspathological lying, mythomania, Munchausen syndrome, Munchausen by proxy
dissimulationcandor
Unguarded truthfulness
frankness · openness · honesty · forthrightness · directness
dissimulationintegrity
Moral soundness and consistency
probity · honesty · uprightness · virtuousness · rectitude
dissimulationartlessness
Sincere, unfeigned manner
guilelessness · naivety · innocence · ingenuousness · simplicity