appearance

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Outward look

Nouns

1. (what is seen) sight, show, scene, view; outlook, prospect, vista, angle, perspective, bird's-eye view; scenery, landscape, picture, tableau; display, setting, mise-en-scène. See visibility.

2. (visual show) peep show, magic lantern, phantasmagoria, panorama, diorama; spectacle, pageantry (See ostentation).

3. aspect, phase, seeming, semblance; shape (See form); guise, facade, outward show, look, complexion, color, image, mien, air, cast, carriage, port, demeanor; presence, expression, first blush; point of view, light. Informal, front, window dressing; spin. See fashion.

4. (visible features) lineament, feature; contour, face, countenance, physiognomy, visage, cast of countenance, figure, profile, cut of one's jib. Slang, phiz.

Verbs — seem, look, show; have, take on, or assume the appearance or semblance of; look like; cut a figure, figure; present to the view.

Adjectives — apparent, seeming, ostensible; on view; evident, manifest, visible. Informal, complected.

Adverbs — apparently, ostensibly, seemingly, as it seems, on the face of it, prima facie; at first blush or sight; in the eyes of; to the eye.

Phrases — you can't tell a book by its cover; appearances are deceptive; merit in appearance is more often rewarded than merit itself; what you see is what you get; all that glitters is not gold; a carpenter is known by his chips.

Quotations — The world is still deceived with ornament (Shakespeare), Your face... is as a book where men may read strange matters (Shakespeare), You can't expect men not to judge by appearances (Ellen Glasgow).

Antonyms, See absence, disappearance, invisibility.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Looks]

Syn. 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*.

Ant. mind*, personality, soul.

2. [Outward show]

Syn. show, pretense, fa?ade, 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*.

Ant. reality, fact*, substance.

3. [The act of appearing]

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

Ant. departure*, going, vanishing.

• keep up appearances,

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

• make or [m1]• put in an appearance ,

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

Syn.- 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 ]

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

1. showing presentation, emerging, arrival, materialization, manifestation, coming.

2. outward appearance facade, image, impression, illusion, semblance, exterior, guise.

3. look form, shape, demeanor, countenance, air, character, mien, features, bearing, aspect.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun 1. The act of coming into view: emergence. See SEE. 2. The act of arriving: advent, arrival, coming. See START. 3. The way something or someone looks: aspect, look, mien. See SURFACE. 4. The character projected or given by someone to the public: image, impression. See SURFACE.