in disguise
33
3.4
- idiom
:
disfrazado
- We're just showing up in disguise as Hasidic Jews.
So I then played on another team in disguise.
- So I then played on another team in disguise.
- It was just some form of super radiance in disguise.
- It's not like the gods show up as in Greek fables in disguise and hang out with us or anything like that.
- They're just, that's a there's a lot of men in disguise being women nowadays all over.
- I can't say because she's going to watch, but me and my sister are paying customers in disguise.
- All right, so we got ourselves a big old cube that I see all spark robots in disguise.
- There's great need of God's mercy to preserve us from making friends of demons in disguise, while we fancy we have good angels for our friends.
- OK, so God came to you in disguise and you pointed an assault rifle at him.
Examples
-
I was in disguise, wasn't I?
-
Well, you know, royalty going out into the city in disguise, it sounds a little strange, don't you think?
-
So, do you often go out in disguise?
-
Was it their idea to send you out in disguise?
Fiction book (1990) -
Things are heating up, so I thought it best to contact you in disguise.
Fiction book (1999) -
We're going to make our entrance through the back way in disguise, as I told you, you fool.
-
"You will have to go in disguise," said the witch.
Fiction book (1999) -
He's in disguise like me so he can compete.
-
You're traveling in disguise.
-
I'm going to the market in disguise so no one will recognize me.
Synonyms
243
6.3
Working secretly to get information about people and groups
15
5.8
Hiding true feelings or intentions so others do not know
6
4.2
Hidden so people do not know the true identity or purpose
5
7.4
Hiding who you are so people do not recognize you
1
9.1
Pretending to be someone else to trick people
Antonyms
How Hidden
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'wearing clothes or a costume to hide one's identity' is directly derivable from 'in' (indicating being in a state or condition) combined with 'disguise' (clothing or an act used to hide identity). This simple compositional pattern ('in' + noun = being in that state) is cross-linguistically common and follows standard English usage, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it.
Etymology
In disguise comes from the simple image of a person wearing a mask or different clothes to hide who they are. So, being in disguise today means 'hiding your true identity' or 'not being recognized'.