conceal

verb

/kənˈsiːl/

(formal)

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they conceal	/kənˈsiːl/ /kənˈsiːl/
he / she / it conceals	/kənˈsiːlz/ /kənˈsiːlz/
past simple concealed	/kənˈsiːld/ /kənˈsiːld/
past participle concealed	/kənˈsiːld/ /kənˈsiːld/
-ing form concealing	/kənˈsiːlɪŋ/ /kənˈsiːlɪŋ/

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to hide somebody/something
- conceal somebody/something The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster.
- Tim could barely conceal his disappointment.
- She sat down to conceal the fact that she was trembling.
- conceal somebody/something from somebody/something For a long time his death was concealed from her.
Synonyms hide
hide
- conceal
- cover
- disguise
- mask
- camouflage
These words all mean to put or keep somebody/something in a place where they/it cannot be seen or found, or to keep the truth or your feelings secret.
- hide to put or keep somebody/something in a place where they/it cannot be seen or found; to keep something secret, especially your feelings:
  He hid the letter in a drawer.
  She managed to hide her disappointment.
- conceal (formal) to hide somebody/something; to keep something secret:
  The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster.
  Tim could barely conceal his disappointment.
  When it is being used to talk about emotions, conceal is often used in negative statements.
- cover to place something over or in front of something in order to hide it:
  She covered her face with her hands.
- disguise to hide or change the nature of something, so that it cannot be recognized:
  He tried to disguise his accent.
- mask to hide a feeling, smell, fact, etc. so that it cannot be easily seen or noticed:
  She masked her anger with a smile.
- camouflage to hide somebody/something by making them/it look like the things around, or like something else:
  The soldiers camouflaged themselves with leaves and twigs.
Patterns
- to hide/conceal/disguise/mask something behind something
- to hide/conceal something under something
- to hide/conceal something from somebody
- to hide/conceal/disguise/mask the truth/the fact that…
- to hide/conceal/disguise/mask your feelings
see also ill-concealed
Extra Examples
- He waited with barely concealed impatience.
- She was unable to conceal her surprise.
- The camera is small and easily concealed.
- He could not conceal his joy/disappointment.
- She could scarcely/hardly conceal her delight.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- completely
- partially
- partly
- …
verb + conceal
- be able to
- be unable to
- try to
- …
preposition
- from
See full entry
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French conceler, from Latin concelare, from con- ‘completely’ + celare ‘hide’.