deceive

[dih-seev]

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).

verb (used without object)

deceived, deceiving 

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

   an engaging manner that easily deceives.

deceive

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of deceive¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of deceive¹

C13: from Old French deceivre, from Latin dēcipere to ensnare, cheat, from capere to take

Synonym Study

See cheat.

Example Sentences

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says he has sued Roblox over "flagrantly ignoring" safety laws and "deceiving parents" about the dangers the online video gaming platform poses to young people.

Read more on BBC

If Penkovsky was a loyal Soviet agent trying to deceive the CIA, he’d hand over what spies call “chicken feed”—secret information that is true, but not truly valuable.

Read more on Literature

"Attacks on heat supply facilities have already occurred and will continue. We should not deceive ourselves, the danger is very significant," Ukraine's top energy expert, Oleksandr Kharchenko, told a media briefing.

Read more on Barron's

“California voters will not be deceived by someone who consistently makes desperate, unsubstantiated attempts to dissuade Americans from participating in our democracy.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Texas has sued Tylenol maker Kenvue for allegedly deceiving mothers about risks associated with autism.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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

When To Use

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.