appearance synonyms

appearance

n.

  1. Looks

    look, looks, aspect, features, exterior, countenance, face, bearing, demeanor, mien, manner, condition, presentation, carriage, cast, air, fashion, attitude, stamp, expression, lineaments, guise, dress, outline, contour, visage, form, shape, semblance, color, port, presence, posture, pose, figure, outward form, character, makeup, cut of one's jib*.

    Antonyms mind*, personality*, soul. *

  2. Outward show

    show, pretense, façade, semblance, guise, impression, idea, image, mask, surface, mirage, illusion, seeming, surface show, false front, exterior, pose, face, veneer, vision, aura, shadow, simulacrum, front*, window dressing*. *

    Antonyms reality, fact*, substance. *

  3. The act of appearing

    arrival, advent, coming, presentation, representation, exhibition, unveiling, display, emergence, rise, introduction, occurrence, manifestation, actualization, materialization, debut, entrance, publication.

    Antonyms departure*, going*, vanishing.

appearance and look refer generally to the outward impression of a person or thing, but the former often implies mere show or pretense gave an appearance of honesty, and the latter (often in the plural) refers specifically to physical details the forlorn look of an abandoned house, good looks; aspect, in this comparison, also refers to physical features, esp. to facial expression a man of morose aspect or to visual effect at a given time or place in spring the yard had a refreshing aspect; semblance, which refers to the outward impression as contrasted with the inner reality, usually does not imply deception a semblance of order, while guise is usually used of a deliberately misleading appearance under the guise of patriotism

keep up appearances

be outwardly proper, hide one's faults or failures, put up a front*, keep up with the Joneses*; see deceive, pretend 1.

make<strong> or </strong>put in an appearance<strong>

appear, appear publicly, come, show up*; see appear 3, arrive 1.

Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.