de·ceive (d -s v )v. de·ceived, de·ceiv·ing, de·ceives v.tr.1. To cause to believe what is not true; mislead. 2. Archaic To catch by guile; ensnare. v.intr.1. To practice deceit. 2. To give a false impression: appearances can deceive.
[Middle English deceiven, from Old French deceveir, from Vulgar Latin *d cip re, from Latin d cipere, to ensnare, deceive : d -, de- + capere, to seize; see kap- in Indo-European roots.]
de·ceiv a·ble adj. de·ceiv er n. de·ceiv ing·ly adv. Synonyms: deceive, betray, mislead, beguile, delude, dupe, hoodwink, bamboozle, double-cross These verbs mean to lead another into error, danger, or a disadvantageous position by underhand means. Deceive involves the deliberate misrepresentation of the truth: "We are inclined to believe those whom we do not know, because they have never deceived us" Samuel Johnson. Betray implies treachery: "When you betray somebody else, you also betray yourself" Isaac Bashevis Singer. Mislead means to lead in the wrong direction or into error of thought or action: "My manhood, long misled by wandering fires,/Followed false lights" John Dryden. Beguile suggests deceiving by means of charm or allure: They beguiled unwary investors with tales of overnight fortunes. To delude is to mislead the mind or judgment. The government deluded the public about the dangers of low-level radiation. Dupe implies playing upon another's susceptibilities or naiveté: The shoppers were duped by false advertising. Hoodwink refers to deluding by trickery: It is difficult to hoodwink a smart lawyer. Bamboozle means to delude by the use of such tactics as hoaxing or artful persuasion: "Perhaps if I wanted to be understood or to understand I would bamboozle myself into belief, but I am a reporter" Graham Greene. Double-cross implies the betrayal of a confidence or the willful breaking of a pledge: The thief double-crossed his accomplice. |