dishonest
Americanadjective
-
not honest; disposed to lie, cheat, or steal; not worthy of trust or belief.
a dishonest person.
- Synonyms:
- perfidious, deceitful, knavish, unscrupulous
- Antonyms:
- honest
-
proceeding from or exhibiting lack of honesty; fraudulent.
a dishonest advertisement.
- Synonyms:
- false
- Antonyms:
- honest
adjective
Usage
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.
Related Words
See corrupt.
Other Word Forms
- dishonestly adverb
Etymology
Origin of dishonest
1350–1400; Middle English dishoneste < Anglo-French, Old French deshoneste, equivalent to des- dis- 1 + honeste honest
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.
State Bar Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona said in a statement the allegations, if proved, “represent dishonest and illegal conduct.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026
But I guess that’s just the kind of sloppy and dishonest lawyering that’s led to some of these ethics complaints in the first place.
From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026
The result is a man who is emotionally immature, dishonest and unable to take responsibility.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026
"The findings of misconduct are serious as they include a teacher displaying dishonest behaviour," he added.
From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026
But he seemed okay and I thought he had an honest face—which turned out to be right, except that I’m not sure what a dishonest face would look like.
From "Lawn Boy" by Gary Paulsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
