masked
- 01 B1 Intermediate
wearing a mask to hide your face or protect yourself.
wearing a mask for the purpose of disguise, protection, or ritual.
Simple“The masked intruder fled the building before the police arrived.”
In context“Security footage captured three masked individuals entering the vault, though their identities remained obscured by the heavy fabric of their disguises.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
hidden or kept secret so that people do not notice the truth.
concealed or disguised; often used to describe emotions, symptoms, or sounds that are obscured by something else.
Simple“Her polite smile masked her true feelings of anger.”
In context“The patient presented with masked symptoms that made an initial diagnosis difficult for the attending physician.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
having a face or head that is a different colour from the rest of the body.
possessing distinct facial markings, particularly when the anterior part of the head differs in colour from the rest of the plumage or fur.
Simple“The masked weaver is a bird known for the black feathers on its face.”
In context“The masked shrew is easily identified by its distinctive facial pigmentation, which contrasts sharply with its dorsal fur.”
Usage masked man
“Videos shared online showed a large number of masked people in black marching on the road in a large group as lorries waited in traffic next to police cars.”
“He added: "You should not be allowed to be masked up, balaclava-ed up and go out and protest on the streets of our country.”
From mask + -ed.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.