charade

UK: /ʃəˈrɑːd/ US: /ʃəˈreɪd/ ,(shə rād′; esp. Brit. shə räd′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

cha•rade /ʃəˈreɪd/   n. 

1. Games charades, [uncountable; used with a singular verb] a game in which players act out, without speaking, a word, phrase, title, etc., often syllable by syllable, for members of their team to guess.
2. Games [countable] a word or phrase acted out in this game.
3. an obvious lie, pretense, or deception;
   travesty:
   [countable] The whole job interview was just a charade.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

cha•rade  (shə rād′; esp. Brit. shə räd′), n. 

1. Games charades, (used with a sing. v.) a game in which the players are typically divided into two teams, members of which take turns at acting out in pantomime a word, phrase, title, etc., which the members of their own team must guess.
2. Games a word or phrase acted out in this game.
3. a blatant pretense or deception, esp. something so full of pretense as to be a travesty.

• Provencal charrad(o) entertainment, equivalent. to charr(á) to chat, chatter (from imitative root) + -ado -ade¹
• French
• 1770–80

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

charade / ʃəˈrɑːd/ noun

1. an episode or act in the game of charades
2. an absurd act; travesty