appearance

/ə'piərəns/
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appearance

She carefully maintained an appearance of calm during the interview.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • The event of coming into sight; the act of becoming visible: "appearance" refers to the moment something or someone becomes seen.
    • The outward or visible aspect of a person or thing: "appearance" describes how someone or something looks from the outside.
    • The act of appearing in public view, especially in a performance or formal setting: "appearance" can mean a public presence, such as in a court, on stage, or at an event.
    • A semblance or impression given, which may differ from reality: "appearance" can refer to the impression something creates, which might be deceptive.
Usage and Examples
  • Referring to becoming visible:

    • The sudden appearance of the sun after the storm cheered everyone up.
    • The ghost made a frightening appearance at midnight.
  • Referring to outward look or aspect:

    • She pays great attention to her personal appearance.
    • Despite its shabby appearance, the house was very cozy inside.
  • Referring to a public presence or act of attending:

    • The actor made a special appearance at the film festival.
    • Your appearance in court is required tomorrow.
  • Referring to a semblance or impression:

    • He gave the appearance of being confident, but he was very nervous.
    • To all appearances, the deal was successful.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
  • "Keep up appearances": To maintain an outward show of prosperity, propriety, or well-being, especially to hide the true situation.

    • After losing his job, he tried hard to keep up appearances for the sake of his family.
  • "For appearance's sake": Done to create a good impression or to conform to what is expected socially, rather than from genuine feeling.

    • They invited her for appearance's sake, not because they wanted her there.
  • "Put in an appearance": To attend an event briefly, often out of obligation.

    • The manager put in an appearance at the office party before leaving early.
Variants and Related Words
  • Appear (verb): To come into sight; to become visible or present.

    • Stars appear in the night sky.
  • Disappearance (noun): The act or an instance of disappearing.

    • The disappearance of the ancient civilization remains a mystery.
  • Reappearance (noun): The act of appearing again after an absence.

    • The comet's reappearance is predicted in 75 years.
Synonyms
  • Look: The way that someone or something appears to the eyes.
  • Semblance: The outward appearance or apparent form of something, especially when the reality is different.
  • Presence: The state or fact of being present in a place, often with a notable impact.
  • Aspect: A particular part or feature of something, especially its visual quality.
Antonyms
  • Disappearance: The act or process of ceasing to be visible.
  • Reality: The state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them (contrasts with deceptive appearance).
Idioms and Phrases
  • To all appearances / From all appearances: Based on what can be seen or what is obvious.

    • To all appearances, they were a happy couple.
  • Appearances can be deceptive: A saying meaning that the way something looks from the outside may not reflect its true nature.

    • The house looked small from the road, but appearances can be deceptive—it's huge inside.
appearance

She carefully maintained an appearance of calm during the interview.

Noun
  1. pretending that something is the case in order to make a good impression
    • they try to keep up appearances
    • that ceremony is just for show
  2. the act of appearing in public view
    • the rookie made a brief appearance in the first period
    • it was Bernhardt's last appearance in America
  3. a mental representation
    • I tried to describe his appearance to the police
  4. formal attendance (in court or at a hearing) of a party in an action
  5. the event of coming into sight
  6. outward or visible aspect of a person or thing