decoy

American  

[dee-koi, dih-koi, dih-koi] / ˈdi kɔɪ, dɪˈkɔɪ, dɪˈkɔɪ /

noun

decoys plural

1. a person who entices or lures another person or thing, as into danger, a trap, or the like.

2. anything used as a lure.

   Synonyms:

   allurement, inducement, bait, enticement

3. a trained bird or other animal used to entice game into a trap or within gunshot.

4. an artificial bird, as a painted wooden duck, used for the same purpose.

5. a pond into which wild fowl are lured for capture.

6. an object capable of reflecting radar waves, used as a spurious aircraft, missile, chaff, etc., for the deception of radar detectors.

---

verb (used with object)

decoys, present (3rd person singular) decoyed, past participle, past decoying present participle

1. to lure by or as if by a decoy.

   They decoyed the ducks to an area right in front of the blind.

verb (used without object)

decoys, present (3rd person singular) decoyed, past participle, past decoying present participle

1. to become decoyed.

   Ducks decoy more easily than most other waterfowl.

decoy British  

noun

1. a person or thing used to beguile or lead someone into danger; lure

2. military something designed to deceive an enemy or divert his attention

3. a bird or animal, or an image of one, used to lure game into a trap or within shooting range

4. an enclosed space or large trap, often with a wide funnelled entrance, into which game can be lured for capture

5. another word for deke

---

verb

1. to lure or be lured by or as if by means of a decoy

2. (tr) another word for deke

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• decoyer
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• decoys
  plural

Participles

• decoying
  present
• decoyed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• decoy
  simple
• decoys
  simple
• have decoyed
  perfect
• has decoyed
  perfect
• am decoying
  progressive
• are decoying
  progressive
• is decoying
  progressive
• have been decoying
  perfect progressive
• has been decoying
  perfect progressive

Past

• decoyed
  simple
• had decoyed
  perfect
• was decoying
  progressive
• were decoying
  progressive
• had been decoying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will decoy
  simple
• will have decoyed
  perfect
• will be decoying
  progressive
• will have been decoying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of decoy

1610–20; variant of coy (now dial.) < Dutch ( de ) kooi (the) cage, Middle Dutch cōie < Latin cavea cage

Explanation

A decoy is a fake version of something used to play a trick or lead you into danger, like the cork duck decoys hunters put on the pond to make the real ducks think it's safe to stop by. Decoy most often refers to bait used for trapping or killing an animal, but it can be any object or plan used to lead someone or something into trouble. Fisherman use worm decoys on their lures to catch fish, just like police use people as undercover decoys to catch criminals. While etymologists aren't positive, they suspect decoy comes from the Dutch kooi, which means “a cage.” So think of luring a mouse into a cage with a big slice of decoy cheese.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

decoy decoys decoyed decoying

And Ronaldo, the billion-dollar decoy, celebrated by pointing at his head.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

These steps help reduce returns fraud when consumers return a similar-looking decoy item, said Sobie.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

CS2 acts as a decoy, drawing alpha-synuclein away from ClpP and preventing it from harming the cell's energy systems.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 20, 2026

Lawrence has shown he can be that threat but also a decoy runner.

From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2025

“Okay, Leo. What kind of decoy are we talking about?”

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

But no country has pushed the balloon frontier further than Ukraine, which is using them to execute audacious strikes deep inside Russia, as well as for reconnaissance and transportation, and as decoys.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026

From there, he scrambled two convoys as decoys, then drove to the nearby coast as an Emirati drone kept watch overhead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2026

Companies sell decoys, which trail planes or ships, sometimes looking like a missile, and emit signals to confuse adversaries into targeting it instead of its mother ship.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 7, 2026

But there is no evidence that AI can help solve the problem of blocking hundreds of fast-flying warheads embedded in a cloud of decoys.

From Salon ● Nov. 27, 2025

Baba wore only his mask when he ventured behind the fence, even though lately it seemed like the decoys didn’t fool the tigers anymore.

From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins

I sent him on a long scavenger hunt, then decoyed him in for a backhand drop and flicked it crosscourt into open space.

From The New Yorker ● Jan. 18, 2016

But then: "The tempter came, like the serpent of Eden, and decoyed them with the majic word of 'freedom.'"

From Time ● Apr. 7, 2011

Minister of State Louis Jac-quinot and Minister for the Sahara Max Lejeune had been decoyed from the general's side and confined in an isolated office under temporary guard.

From Time Magazine Archive

A Mrs. Bevan who "decoyed" the aide got $25,000 and the Robinsons received $125,000, which the male Robin son paid over to the female, and started divorce proceedings.

From Time Magazine Archive

Let these parents reflect, that probably they themselves are the cause of the errors into which their children have been decoyed.

From Auricular Confession and Popish Nunneries Volumes I. and II., Complete by Hogan, William

Duplicitous collectors have created a thriving ecosystem of stockpiling, hiding, and decoying that makes it well-nigh impossible to find a scooter in need of charging.

From Slate ● May 22, 2018

This is especially true when you're rattling, calling, or decoying big game.

From Time Magazine Archive

Instead, he concentrates on controlling the boards, decoying enemy defenders, setting up teammates for open shots.

From Time Magazine Archive

Conclusion: A buck�s urge to breed doesn�t end after the primary rut, which means the same techniques that worked then�including calling, rattling, decoying, and using scents�can work well into the late season.

From Time Magazine Archive

Her gentle efforts to guide the hand of destiny, by decoying her master with fertile tricks or by reticent considerations these had not bean strong enough to be recognized in the despotism of fife.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White