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.
Synonym Usage
See corrupt.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dishonest
1350–1400; Middle English dishoneste < Anglo-French, Old French deshoneste, equivalent to des- dis- 1 + honeste honest
Explanation
Someone dishonest is corrupt: a cheater, a liar, or a fraud. Dishonest folks shouldn't be trusted. If you know that being honest means to tell the truth and be straightforward, then you can probably guess that being dishonest means to tell lies and be crooked. Liars are dishonest. Criminals are dishonest. Some lawyers and politicians have a reputation for being dishonest, as do commercials that will say anything just to get you to spend your money. Besides people, certain actions are dishonest, like forging someone's signature. When you see the word dishonest, think "Untrustworthy!"
Vocabulary lists containing dishonest
Power Prefix: dis-
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Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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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.
"Bird-watchers are tense, competitive, selfish, shifty, dishonest, distrusting, boorish, pedantic, unsentimental, arrogant and - above all, envious" he wrote.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
"All those things may be insincere or dishonest in their own ways, but at least there's something," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
As for the great, mysterious and possibly dishonest figure Gail pursues, it’s Jon Hamm, playing himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
“I just think it’s so dishonest for people to be like, ‘there’s nothing that could ever be offered to me for me to do that,’” she said.
From Salon ● May 10, 2026
His men were idle and dishonest, the fields were full of weeds, the buildings wanted roofing, the hedges were neglected, and the animals were underfed.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
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.
