deceive

[ dih-seev ]
See synonyms for: deceivedeceiveddeceivesdeceiving on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),de·ceived, de·ceiv·ing.
  1. to mislead by a false appearance or statement; delude: They deceived the enemy by disguising the destroyer as a freighter.

  2. to be unfaithful to (one's spouse or lover).

  1. Archaic. to while away (time).

verb (used without object),de·ceived, de·ceiv·ing.
  1. to mislead or falsely persuade others; practice deceit: an engaging manner that easily deceives.

Origin of deceive

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English deceiven, from Old French deceivre, from Latin dēcipere, literally, “to ensnare,” equivalent to dē- de- + -cipere, combining form of capere “to take”

synonym study For deceive

1. See cheat.

Other words for deceive

Other words from deceive

  • de·ceiv·a·ble·ness, de·ceiv·a·bil·i·ty [dih-see-vuh-bil-i-tee], /dɪˌsi vəˈbɪl ɪ ti/, noun
  • de·ceiv·a·bly, adverb
  • de·ceiv·er, noun
  • de·ceiv·ing·ly, adverb
  • in·ter·de·ceive, verb, in·ter·de·ceived, in·ter·de·ceiv·ing.
  • non·de·ceiv·ing, adjective
  • pre·de·ceive, verb (used with object), pre·de·ceived, pre·de·ceiv·ing.
  • re·de·ceive, verb (used with object), re·de·ceived, re·de·ceiv·ing.
  • well-de·ceived, adjective

Words Nearby deceive

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use deceive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for deceive

deceive

/ (dɪˈsiːv) /


verb(tr)
  1. to mislead by deliberate misrepresentation or lies

  2. to delude (oneself)

  1. to be unfaithful to (one's sexual partner)

  2. archaic to disappoint: his hopes were deceived

Origin of deceive

1
C13: from Old French deceivre, from Latin dēcipere to ensnare, cheat, from capere to take

Derived forms of deceive

  • deceivable, adjective
  • deceivably, adverb
  • deceivableness or deceivability, noun
  • deceiver, noun
  • deceiving, noun, adjective
  • deceivingly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012