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deceit
[ dih-seet ]
noun
- the act or practice of deceiving; concealment or distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading; duplicity; fraud; cheating:
Once she exposed their deceit, no one ever trusted them again.
Synonyms: dissimulation, deception
- an act or device intended to deceive; trick; stratagem.
- the quality of being deceitful; duplicity; falseness:
a man full of deceit.
deceit
/ dɪˈsiːt /
noun
- the act or practice of deceiving
- a statement, act, or device intended to mislead; fraud; trick
- a tendency to deceive
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Other Words From
- nonde·ceit noun
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of deceit1
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Synonym Study
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Example Sentences
To the extent Neanderthals were like us, they must have been capable of acts of great kindness and empathy, but also cruelty, violence, and deceit.
Petzold loves his romantic bargains, his meditations on longing, obsession and deceit, and he unfurls all of that seductive cloth of gold in Undine.
His deceit was wide-ranging and unsettling, and prompted questions within the publishing industry about authorship, privilege and identity.
He explains the phenomenon of deceit in general, and self-deception in particular, with the same plain language and gentle authority that his listeners have come to rely on.
The Washington Post’s examination of a private conservative gathering included numerous appeals from presenters to this alleged threat looming over the country, a threat manifested in fraud, deceit and civil unrest.
“I was truly appalled by the realization of the deceit involved,” Bradlee wrote.
Just like a Law & Order episode, the Mississippi Senate race has featured felonies, courtroom drama, lies, and deceit.
For years now, deceit has been an institutional norm in facilities across the VA.
He lines his pockets when opportunities arise, and gets ahead of domestic rivals by craft and deceit.
But these two pillars of support for lethal injection have always been based on a form of deceit.
This is one of the fundamentals in that large class of cases growing out of deceit.
As a net is full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit: therefore are they become great and enriched.
Do not believe this; be certain that those who profess such a doctrine are practising themselves the deceit they condemn so much.
The party seeking redress, must have been deceived, and also injured by the deceit in order to recover.
Thus, where such pure, noble feelings do not exist, the mere forms of politeness become hypocrisy and deceit.
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More About Deceit
What does deceit mean?
Deceit is the act or practice of deceiving—lying, misleading, or otherwise hiding or distorting the truth. The word deception often means the same thing and is perhaps more commonly used.
Deceit doesn’t just involve lying. It can consist of misrepresenting or omitting the truth or more complicated cover-ups. Anything that involves intentionally misleading someone is deceit.
The word deceit often implies a pattern of behavior, rather than a one-time act. The adjective deceitful can describe something that deceives or is intended to deceive, or someone who is known for engaging in deceit.
Less commonly, the word deceit can refer to an action, scheme, or trick intended to deceive, as in It was a clever deceit, but I didn’t fall for it.
Another less common sense of the word refers to the quality of being deceitful. A deceitful person can be said to be full of deceit.
Example: I’m sick of your constant lying and deceit—I can’t trust anything you say!
Where does deceit come from?
The first records of the word deceit come from the 1200s. It comes from the Old French verb deceivre, meaning “to deceive.” Deceit and related words like deceive and deception ultimately derive from the Latin verb dēcipere, meaning “to ensnare” (in the literal sense of trapping someone or an animal).
Forms of deceit include attempts to mislead or trick someone or trap them with a deceptive scheme. Deceit always involves deceiving someone, but it may not involve outright lying. Some forms of deceit involve concealing the truth or simply omitting the truth. Just because you didn’t lie doesn’t mean you didn’t engage in deceit.
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What are some other forms related to deceit?
- deceitful (adjective)
What are some synonyms for deceit?
What are some words that share a root or word element with deceit?
What are some words that often get used in discussing deceit?
How is deceit used in real life?
Deceit and deception are often used to mean the same thing, but deception is perhaps more commonly used because it’s slightly less formal. Both words can be used in all kinds of contexts, though of course they are common in political discussion.
Judging by my last tweet the people of this country have had enough of the pure deceit we are being fed
Let’s stay safe let’s stay strong let’s say enough Let’s stay together x— Robert Lindsay (@RobertLindsay) December 8, 2020
“It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” ― Noël Coward
— Eric Barker (@bakadesuyo) December 7, 2020
Try using deceit!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of deceit?
A. duplicity
B. deception
C. description
D. dishonesty
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