Synonyms

deceive

American

[dih-seev] / dɪˈsiv /

verb (used with object)

deceived, deceiving

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
to be unfaithful to (one's spouse or lover).
Archaic. to while away (time).

verb (used without object)

deceived, deceiving

to mislead or falsely persuade others; practice deceit.

an engaging manner that easily deceives.

deceive British

/ dɪˈsiːv /

verb

to mislead by deliberate misrepresentation or lies
to delude (oneself)
to be unfaithful to (one's sexual partner)
archaic to disappoint

his hopes were deceived

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Opal and the miller were probably afraid to tell the king that they had deceived him.

From Literature

Be not deceived by the anodyne title: This ode to the author’s German shepherd is the weirdest book on my list, by far.

From The Wall Street Journal

England captain Brook, on his 27th birthday, started brightly but fell for 14 off seven balls when he got stuck on the front foot and was deceived by a flighted delivery.

From Barron's

African governments have increasingly been warning their citizens and working to repatriate those who were deceived into joining the conflict.

From BBC

Planned Parenthood is not the only nonprofit that is accused of deceiving the public that way.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023