conceal

conceal — verb

1. to put something where it cannot be seen, or to keep information, thoughts, or f

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to put something where it cannot be seen, or to keep information, thoughts, or feelings from being known by others.

Example

A small camera was concealed behind a painting in the hotel room.

passive: be concealed + behind + noun phrase

Ravi tried to conceal his disappointment when he lost the game.

conceal + feeling noun (disappointment, anger, fear)

Common collocations
  • conceal from
  • conceal oneself
  • conceal disappointment
  • conceal evidence
  • conceal the truth
Synonyms
  • hide

    less formal and more common in everyday speech; 'hide' is A2 while 'conceal' is B2

  • cover up

    informal; often suggests deliberate deception about wrongdoing

  • disguise

    to change the appearance of something so it is not recognized

Antonyms
  • reveal

    to make something known or visible

  • expose

    to uncover something hidden, often something shameful

Grammar Patterns

conceal + noun phrase

conceal + noun phrase + from + noun phrase

Usage Note

More formal than 'hide'. Common in written English, news reports, and legal contexts. The object may be a physical item, information, or a feeling. Use 'from' to introduce the person or group that is kept unaware.

Common Mistakes

He concealed from the police.
He concealed the evidence from the police.
'conceal' requires a direct object; you must state what is hidden.

Word family

  • concealment
    nounC1
  • concealed
    adjectiveB2
  • concealer
    nounC1
  • unconcealed
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Hide' is the most general and least formal word — you could hide a key, hide your feelings, or hide from someone. 'Conceal' is more formal and often appears in news or official reports ('the suspect concealed the weapon'). 'Cover up' is informal and almost always implies a deliberate, dishonest attempt to stop people finding out about a mistake or crime ('the government tried to cover up the scandal'). 'Disguise' involves changing how something looks or sounds so it is not recognized ('she disguised her voice on the phone'), while 'mask' focuses on preventing a feeling or quality from being noticed ('he masked his anxiety with a smile'). In most everyday situations, native speakers choose 'hide'; 'conceal' adds a tone of intentional secrecy.

hide ↗cover up ↗disguise ↗mask ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • conceal the truth from
  • conceal something from view

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Conceal came into English in the 1300s from Old French 'conceler', which came from Latin 'concelare'. The Latin word was built from 'con-' (completely) and 'celare' (to hide), so its original meaning was 'to hide thoroughly'.