COSTUME Synonyms: 127 Similar and Opposite Words

costume 1 of 3

noun

ˈkä-ˌstüm

Definition of costume

as in dress

clothing chosen as appropriate for a specific situation a tuxedo is the only acceptable costume for men attending a formal event

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in mask

clothing put on to hide one's true identity or imitate someone or something else Halloween costumes that caricature some of the "celebrities" created by the media over the past year

Synonyms & Similar Words

costume

2 of 3

verb

kä-ˈstüm

as in to dress

to outfit with clothes and especially fine or special clothes the days when people, costumed in their Sunday best, would parade along the grand avenue on Easter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

costume

3 of 3

adjective

as in costumey

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of costume

Noun

But Misty’s outfits were so important to me and to our brilliant costume designer, Neishea Lemle. — Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026 So pack your costume (and maybe a flashlight)—it’s time to get into the spirit of the season at the best Halloween towns in the US. — Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 13 Oct. 2026

Verb

Sergio and Liz were both members of the 501st Legion, a charity and costuming group celebrating Star Wars. — Curran Rastogi, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 The night also saw modern iterations of court costumes from the 17th and 18th centuries. — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Adjective

With a costume department that resembles something of a militia itself. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026 The process of building her characters was very collaborative, requiring her to work closely with the makeup, hair, and especially costume departments. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for costume

Recent Examples of Synonyms for costume

Noun

Babydoll dresses in the spirit of the 1960s model Twiggy and their accompanying endless stretches of leg are another possible alternative.

— Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026
Popular comedian Antonis Kanakis poked fun at the 57-year-old’s flamboyant outfits in a skit posted online, donning a black wig and shimmering silver dress with a pink feather boa.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of dress

Noun

Police fired tear gas and water cannons to push back people wearing hoods and masks and throwing fireworks, paving stones and other objects at officers in the Place de la République, northeast of the Paris city center.

— SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
In the southern port city of Marseille, some protesters briefly forced their way into the lobby of City Hall and a group of people wearing hoods and masks damaged a police station.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of mask

Verb

However, other analysts have expressed concerns about assuming that take-or-pay legal structures are iron-clad and about equating backlogs with revenue.

— Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Video of the incident obtained by CBS News showed a group of around 20 masked men clad in black or gray clothes descending a hill from the area of an Israeli settlement outpost into an olive grove near the Palestinian village of Abu Falah.

— Dov Lieber, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of clothe

Noun

Before the main event kicked off, however, the glitzy Academy Gala red carpet saw all of these A-listers bring out their finest evening attire for the night.

— Christian Allaire, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2026
Kendall Jenner and Hunter Schafer, in Valentino and Prada, respectively, wore two of the evening’s most compelling arguments for black and white evening attire.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of attire

Noun

American soldiers gather at a border monitoring post in Roma, Texas, where an infantry vehicle with camouflage netting sits between houses.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Under-eye correctors (aka concealers with a peachy or orange hue) effectively neutralize and camouflage blue undertones that often show through the thin skin area.

— Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of camouflage

Verb

At the 2026 amFAR Gala this summer, Pamela Anderson donned a satin Calvin Klein Collection orange gown with a matching shawl.

— Christian Allaire, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2026
Gala cochair Nicole Ari Parker was one of the first to arrive, wearing a custom Victor De Souza gown reminiscent of Victorian tulle.

— Brianna J. Heath, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of gown

Adjective

With its magnetic shroud shoelace cover and dressy patent leather toe, the Air Jordan 16 was conceptualized in 2001 during an unusual period of Jordan’s legacy.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
The result is something that looks dressy with minimal effort but feels like your favorite pair of yoga pants.

— Annie Blackman, InStyle, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of dressy

Browse Nearby Words

costs

costume

costumed

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Cite this Entry

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“Costume.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/costume. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of costume

noun

verb

adjective

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