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. |
deceive Verb [-ceiving, -ceived] 1. to mislead by lying 2. deceive oneself to refuse to acknowledge something one knows to be true 3. to be unfaithful to (one's sexual partner) [Latin decipere to ensnare, cheat]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Verb | 1. | deceive - be false to; be dishonest withbetray, sell - deliver to an enemy by treachery; "Judas sold Jesus"; "The spy betrayed his country" chisel, cheat - engage in deceitful behavior; practice trickery or fraud; "Who's chiseling on the side?" shill - act as a shill; "The shill bid for the expensive carpet during the auction in order to drive the price up" ensnare, entrap, frame, set up - take or catch as if in a snare or trap; "I was set up!"; "The innocent man was framed by the police" | | 2. | deceive - cause someone to believe an untruth; "The insurance company deceived me when they told me they were covering my house"personate, pose, impersonate - pretend to be someone you are not; sometimes with fraudulent intentions; "She posed as the Czar's daughter" |
deceive verb take in, trick, fool ( informal) cheat, con ( informal) kid ( informal) stiff ( slang) sting ( informal) mislead, betray, lead (someone) on ( informal) hoax, dupe, beguile, delude, swindle, outwit, ensnare, bamboozle ( informal) hoodwink, entrap, double-cross ( informal) take for a ride ( informal) pull a fast one on ( slang) cozen, pull the wool over (someone's) eyes
Translations deceive [dɪˈsiːv] vt → engañar
deceive [dɪˈsiːv] deceit vt → tromper;
deceive [dɪˈsiːv] vt → täuschen;
deceive [dɪˈsiːv] vt → ingannare; to deceive o.s → illudersi, ingannarsi
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