appearance (redirected from appearances)

Appearances can be deceiving.

Prov. Things can look different from the way they really are. Edward seems like a very nice boy, but appearances can be deceiving. Jane may look like she doesn't understand you, but she's really extremely bright. Appearances can be deceiving.

See also: can, deceive

by all appearances

apparently; according to what one sees or how things seem. She is, by all appearances, ready to resume work. By all appearances, we ought to be approaching the airport.

keep up appearances

to make things look all right whether they are or not. We must keep up appearances even if it means little sacrifices here and there. Things may be unpleasant, but we will keep up appearances.

See also: keep, up

make an appearance

to appear; to appear in a performance. We waited for thirty minutes for the professor to make an appearance, then we went home. The famous singing star made an appearance in Detroit last August.

See also: make

put in an appearance (at something)

to appear briefly at some place or at some event. I only wanted to put in an appearance at the reception, but I ended up staying for two hours. Do we have to stay a long time, or can we just put in an appearance?

See also: put

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keep up appearances

to hide your personal or financial problems from other people by continuing to live and behave in the same way that you did in the past Simply keeping up appearances was stretching their resources to the limit.

See also: keep, up