dishonest
adjective
SYNONYMS FOR dishonest
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Origin of dishonest
synonym study for dishonest
OTHER WORDS FROM dishonest
dis·hon·est·ly, adverbWords nearby dishonest
VOCAB BUILDER
What does dishonest mean?
Dishonest is the opposite of honest—it’s used to describe someone or something as intentionally deceptive or not fully truthful in some way.
When dishonest is used to describe a person, it usually means they are frequently or habitually untruthful—that they tend to lie often or that they often hide or leave out part of the truth.
When dishonest is used to describe a thing, it usually implies that the thing is intentionally deceptive—that it’s intended to deceive people or mislead them through lies, the omission of all or parts of the truth, or the twisting of the truth.
Just as the noun form of honest is honesty, the noun form of dishonest is dishonesty.
Example: The article exposes the company’s dishonest business practices and the dishonest executives who promote them.
Where does dishonest come from?
The first records of the word dishonest come from the 1300s. The prefix dis- means “not,” making dishonest mean “not honest.”
Being honest is actually pretty simple—it involves telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Being dishonest involves all different kinds of ways of being deceptive, including telling lies, hiding or leaving out parts of the truth, or using a mix of truth and lies to mislead or deceive. Just because you’re not lying doesn’t mean you’re not being dishonest.
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What are some other forms related to dishonest?
- dishonesty (noun)
- dishonestly (adverb)
What are some synonyms for dishonest?
What are some words that share a root or word element with dishonest?
What are some words that often get used in discussing dishonest?
How is dishonest used in real life?
Dishonest is always used negatively. It can be used to describe people or the things they say, do, or create.
being accused of being dishonest when you’re telling nothing but the truth has to be up there with one of the most frustrating things
— sorento (@kiasfuneral) September 2, 2020
We shouldn’t shy away from these difficult conversations about competing rights and interests, about speech and safety and power. But we also shouldn’t let a loud and dishonest group of people warp and manipulate the debate to serve their ends.
— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) February 16, 2021
Uber ordered to pay $20m in fines following (probably last ever) FTC investigation into dishonest advertising https://t.co/iAQebS6Q8d
— Sarah Lacy (@sarahcuda) January 24, 2017
Try using dishonest!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of dishonest?
A. untruthful
B. deceitful
C. deceptive
D. incorrect