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

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

Lawyers for the motorists will claim they were deceived about how environmentally friendly the vehicles were, and that the cars still on the road are continuing to emit dangerous levels of pollution.

Read more on BBC

Jake Brown, joint winner from series three, told BBC Breakfast he thinks professional performers "know how to deceive, they know how to be someone else".

Read more on BBC

How could something that looks so good and feels genuinely inspiring just by being in its proximity be deceiving?

Read more on Salon

The case was deciding on whether Skat was deceived into paying the tax refunds, as it had claimed.

Read more on BBC

Carr had suggested on the podcast “The Benny Show” that there was a “concerted effort” from some broadcasters to deceive the public about the motive behind Kirk’s killing.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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.