deceiver

American  

[dih-see-ver] / dɪˈsi vər /

noun

1. one who misleads another or others by a false appearance or statement, especially one who does so habitually.

   Far from being a historian, he is a deceiver who invents, manipulates, and modifies documents.

2. Often Deceiver the devil; Satan.

   My orders as a bishop are to execute the holy rites for demonic exorcism; I do not plan to leave these good sisters at the mercy of the Deceiver.

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Other Word Forms

• predeceiver noun

Etymology

Origin of deceiver

First recorded in 1350–1400; deceiv(e) ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Trauma is a nasty deceiver, both in the way it makes survivors distrust their memories and the way we, its witnesses, interpret it in the context of everything we see.

From Salon • May 20, 2023

Santos isn’t trans, but it can’t be good to have this new element folded into the larger story of the congressman as a liar and a deceiver.

From Washington Post • Jan. 22, 2023

As you know, there are multiple Saurons: Sauron who seeks redemption; Sauron the deceiver; Annatar, the lord of gifts.

From New York Times • Oct. 14, 2022

Jacob was a popular boy’s name in Old Testament times, and meant "the one who grasps," "the angler," "the deceiver" or "the supplanter."

From Fox News • Mar. 20, 2022

“Mr. Curtain is the big deceiver, remember? We can beat him at his own game!”

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart