Synonyms

deceive

American

[dih-seev] / dɪˈsiv /

verb (used with object)

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)

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.

Synonym Usage

See cheat.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing deceive

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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.

The Ghost Army had one goal: Deceive Hitler’s forces and their allies.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 3, 2022

Deceive the guardian—well, she’d done that; but she had no idea what she would find inside the tent.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

Let me be deaf for ever, if my ears Deceive me now! did he not say his son?

From The Count of Narbonne A Tragedy, in Five Acts by Jephson, Robert

"Deceive you?" said the jolly schemer, shaking his head reverentially.

From International Weekly Miscellany - Volume 1, No. 8, August 19, 1850 by Various

My faithful mirror oft to me has told— My weary spirit and my shrivell'd skin My failing powers to prove it all begin— "Deceive thyself no longer, thou art old."

From The Sonnets, Triumphs, and Other Poems of Petrarch by Campbell, Thomas

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