Skip to main content
facade

facade

39 7.2
A false appearance that hides true problems
  • noun
  • /fəˈsɑd/
: fachada
  • Behind the facade of their perfect marriage, there were many unresolved issues.
  • hide behind a facade
  • maintain a facade
  • present a facade

Use the Friedman idea of the facade as a powerful tool.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • But his whole facade, much like Trump, is all smoke and mirrors.

  • Beneath her angry facade, however, Faith desperately wants to connect, to love, and to feel safe.

    Academic text (2015)
  • But you can only put on a facade for so long.

  • It's just a facade, you know?

  • Deep down, I always knew it was a facade.

  • For years now, this family has been nothing but an empty facade.

  • I'm tired of the facade and constantly keeping up appearances.

  • But Brian Stelter really, really wants to keep that facade alive.

  • But behind the facade of triumph, was a country enslaved.

  • But I had seen beyond his thin facade and gazed upon the true Max inside.

    Fiction book (2000)

Synonyms

show
vsfacade
223 5.3

An act to impress others that hides true feelings

is a maintained deceptive surface rather than a single public display
appearance
vsfacade
107 5.1

A way of showing yourself that hides problems to make others think well of you

is a specific kind of lasting outward cover that hides worse reality
pretense
vsfacade
  • US
76 6.1

A false claim or action to hide the truth

is the sustained outward show used specifically to hide unpleasant facts
charade
vsfacade
76 7.4

A false show that hides what is really happening

is a continuous maintained surface that hides a worse reality
mask
vsfacade
53 5.9

A way of acting that hides how a person really feels

is more about a continued external show hiding something worse
guise
vsfacade
53 7.5

An appearance that hides the truth to trick people

is the maintained public cover that conceals an unpleasant truth
disguise
vsfacade
36 3.9

An outward appearance that hides someone's real identity or intentions

is a kept external cover aimed at hiding bad reality
front
vsfacade
34 6.7

An appearance that hides true feelings or intentions

is more about keeping up an ongoing deceptive surface
cloak
vsfacade
34 5.8

A thing that hides the true nature of something

is an ongoing outward layer kept to hide unpleasant truth
veneer
vsfacade
18 7.4

An attractive outer look that hides the real situation

is an outward cover kept to conceal a less pleasant reality
window dressing
vsfacade
  • Informal
12 5.6

An action that makes something look better than it really is to hide problems

is the enduring outward cover that conceals an unpleasant reality
masquerade
vsfacade
9 6.8

A false appearance that hides someone's true feelings or plans

is a steady maintained cover rather than an active performance
gloss
vsfacade
4 7.0

An attractive appearance that hides something unpleasant

is a lasting outward cover rather than a brief explanatory note
Potemkin facade
vsfacade
  • Literature
1 9.9

A false front that hides real problems

is the general maintained outward cover used to hide bad truth
vizard
vsfacade
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A polite or calm face that hides what someone really feels

is a broader maintained surface intended to conceal unpleasant facts

Antonyms

329 1.0

Being truthful and fair in what you say and do

139 3.7

Being clear so people can see or understand how something works

73 4.8

A quality that shows something is real and believable to people

Compounds

1 4.9

The front of a building made of bricks

Potemkin facade
  • Literature
1 9.9

A false front that hides real problems

A happy appearance that hides true feelings

9.9

A fake show of giving to hide true reasons

An outer surface on a building made from shiny silver metal sheets

How Deceptive

charade
76 7.4
facade
39 7.2
pretense
  • US
76 6.1
openness
30 3.5

Surface Forms

facade singular
facades plural
façades plural
façade singular

Etymology

The word facade comes from the Latin facies, which means 'face' and is like the English word face. That's why facade can also mean the 'face' people show to others — sometimes a false 'face' used to hide the real person or problem.