Deceiver

de·ceive  (d-sv)

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.

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[Middle English deceiven, from Old French deceveir, from Vulgar Latin *dcipre, from Latin dcipere, to ensnare, deceive : d-, de- + capere, to seize; see kap- in Indo-European roots.]

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de·ceiva·ble adj.

de·ceiver n.

de·ceiving·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.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

deceiver - someone who leads you to believe something that is not true beguiler, cheater, trickster, slicker, cheat offender, wrongdoer - a person who transgresses moral or civil law bluffer, four-flusher - a person who tries to bluff other people chiseler, chiseller, defrauder, grifter, scammer, swindler, gouger - a person who swindles you by means of deception or fraud decoy, steerer - a beguiler who leads someone into danger (usually as part of a plot) dodger, slyboots, fox - a shifty deceptive person double-crosser, double-dealer, traitor, two-timer, betrayer - a person who says one thing and does another defalcator, embezzler, peculator - someone who violates a trust by taking (money) for his own use falsifier - someone who falsifies finagler, wangler - a deceiver who uses crafty misleading methods counterfeiter, forger - someone who makes copies illegally fortune hunter - a person who seeks wealth through marriage front man, nominal head, straw man, strawman, figurehead, front - a person used as a cover for some questionable activity dissembler, dissimulator, hypocrite, phoney, phony, pretender - a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives imitator, impersonator - someone who (fraudulently) assumes the appearance of another faker, imposter, impostor, pseud, pseudo, role player, sham, shammer, pretender, fraud, fake - a person who makes deceitful pretenses liar, prevaricator - a person who has lied or who lies repeatedly misleader - someone who leads astray (often deliberately) charlatan, mountebank - a flamboyant deceiver; one who attracts customers with tricks or jokes obscurantist - a person who is deliberately vague sandbagger - someone who deceives you about his true nature or intent in order to take advantage of you two-timer - someone who deceives a lover or spouse by carrying on a sexual relationship with somebody else utterer - someone who circulates forged banknotes or counterfeit coins