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

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

But when AI slop has been created specifically to deceive, it can anger people.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

People who fabricate research or deceive the public deserve scrutiny.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

“I wish to have it accomplished under pretext that may deceive both them and the Public,” wrote the president.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Related Words

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