deceive

American  

[dih-seev] / dɪˈsiv /

verb (used with object)

deceived, deceiving

1. to mislead by a false appearance or statement; delude.

   They deceived the enemy by disguising the destroyer as a freighter.

   Synonyms:

   fool, dupe, cozen, betray, ensnare, entrap, outwit, defraud, trick, hoodwink, gull

2. to be unfaithful to (one's spouse or lover).

3. Archaic. to while away (time).

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verb (used without object)

deceived, deceiving

1. to mislead or falsely persuade others; practice deceit.

   an engaging manner that easily deceives.

deceive British  

/ dɪˈsiːv /

verb

1. to mislead by deliberate misrepresentation or lies

2. to delude (oneself)

3. to be unfaithful to (one's sexual partner)

4. archaic to disappoint

   his hopes were deceived

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Usage

What does deceive mean? Deceive means to lie, mislead, or otherwise hide or distort the truth. The act or practice of deceiving can be called deceit or deception. Lying is only one way of deceiving. Deceiving can consist of misrepresenting or omitting the truth or more complicated cover-ups. People can even deceive themselves by avoiding the truth. The adjectives deceptive and deceitful can describe something that deceives or is intended to deceive. Someone who is known for deceiving others can be described as deceitful. Someone who is easily deceived can be described as deceivable. Sometimes, the word deceive can be used in the context of things that are naturally or innocently misleading to one’s perception (without someone doing the deceiving), as in Do my eyes deceive me? The adjective deceiving can be used in this sense, as in Looks can be deceiving. Example: A lot of advertising is intended to deceive us into thinking we need something.

Related Words

See cheat.

Other Word Forms

• deceivability
  noun
• deceivable
  adjective
• deceivableness
  noun
• deceivably
  adverb
• deceiver
  noun
• deceiving
  noun
• deceivingly
  adverb
• interdeceive
  verb
• nondeceiving
  adjective
• predeceive
  verb (used with object)
• redeceive
  verb (used with object)
• well-deceived
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of deceive

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English deceiven, from Old French deceivre, from Latin dēcipere, literally, “to ensnare,” equivalent to dē- de- + -cipere, combining form of capere “to take”

Explanation

To deceive means to trick or lie. A crafty kid might deceive his mother into thinking he has a fever by holding the thermometer to a light bulb to increase the temperature. Deceive is the trickier cousin of lie. You might lie about why you were late to school. But if you simply don't explain to your mom that you were late in the first place, you are deceiving her. Deceive carries with it a feeling of both craftiness and betrayal. When you deceive someone, forgiveness can be hard to come by. Have you heard of the spelling rule, "i before e except after c" that has so many exceptions? Well, deceive follows that rule.

Example Sentences

We should say instead that lying is a matter of speaking with the intent to deceive.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

Now they are able to do more damage using artificial intelligence to simulate fake grassroots opposition to clean air measures, and they are surreptitiously using the identities of real people to deceive regulators.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

It’s essentially three things: deceive, disrupt, and deny.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

"Fraudsters are using increasingly sophisticated social engineering tactics to deceive customers, often impersonating trusted institutions to gain access to information and account," the company said.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

“There is some change. It is a hope that makes me sick, for it may deceive us.”

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

Related Words

• be dishonest
• betray
• cheat
• circumvent
• defraud
• delude
• disappoint
• dupe
• entrap
• falsify
• fool
• hoodwink
• mislead
• swindle
• trick
• victimize