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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. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | deceiver - someone who leads you to believe something that is not truedecoy, steerer - a beguiler who leads someone into danger (usually as part of a plot) faker, imposter, impostor, pseud, pseudo, role player, sham, shammer, pretender, fraud, fake - a person who makes deceitful pretenses misleader - someone who leads astray (often deliberately) 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 |
deceivernoun liar, fraud, cheat, fake, betrayer, crook (informal), pretender, deluder, hypocrite, charlatan, trickster, con man (informal), sharper, impostor, fraudster, swindler, dissembler, inveigler, mountebank, snake in the grass, grifter (slang, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), double-dealer, chiseller (informal), cozener He was condemned as a liar, cheat and deceiver.Quotations "men were deceivers ever" [William Shakespeare Much Ado About Nothing]
Translations deceiver [dɪˈsiːvəʳ] N → impostor(a) m/f, embustero/a m/f; [ of women] → seductor m deceiver [dɪˈsiːvəʳ] n → ingannatore/trice
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