Spanish word

enmascarar

Pronunciation

IPA/emmaskaˈɾaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbhide

Example

Su sonrisa enmascara la tristeza.

Her smile hides her sadness.

Illustration for enmascarar (hide)

More examples

Ella enmascara sus síntomas para no preocupar a nadie.

She hides her symptoms so as not to worry anyone.

Core concept

A thin veil that makes real features hard to see.

Common phrases

  • enmascarar la tristeza

    mask sadness

  • enmascarar síntomas

    hide symptoms

  • enmascarar con maquillaje

    mask with makeup

Similar words

disimular: Downplays or hides emotional reactions through controlled words, tone, or facial cues.
ocultar: Removes or keeps items or data out of view so they remain inaccessible to others.
encubrir: Conceals wrongdoing or inconvenient facts to avoid scrutiny or accountability.
cubrir: Places a physical covering over something's surface to block sight of its contents.

Definition in Spanish

Poner una cubierta o elemento que disimula la apariencia real de algo.

Word origin

Formed from en- plus máscara 'mask', with máscara borrowed via Italian maschera, the verb expresses covering something to hide its appearance.

Usage tips

  • Enmascarar often takes abstract objects such as feelings, motives, reports, or statistics, so it frequently appears in figurative contexts rather than only for physical covers.

Opposites

Related words

  • enmascaramientomaskingnoun
  • enmascaradomaskedadjective
  • enmascaradormaskernoun

Word lists with this word