unmask
verb
Simple meaning
To reveal the true identity or nature of someone or something.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
uhnmaskSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ənˈmæsk
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
Reveal the true nature of
“The journal article unmasked the corrupt politician.”
transitive
To expose, or reveal the true character of someone.
transitive
To remove a mask from someone.
intransitive
To remove one's mask.
intransitive
To cease engaging in masking, to cease disguising one's autism.
Understand the Word
How this word is built, and what each part adds.
To unmask someone is to take off a disguise, or to show who or what they really are.
- un-
- removes, opens or reveals
- mask
- a covering that hides
Prefix function , Removes or reveals
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Primarily written
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Reveal the true nature of
Used this way, unmask is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“The journal article unmasked the corrupt politician.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use unmask
- “The journal article unmasked the corrupt politician.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.