deceitful

adjective

de·​ceit·​ful di-ˈsēt-fəl 

: having a tendency or disposition to deceive or give false impressions:

a

: not honest

a deceitful person

b

: deceptive, misleading

deceitful advertising

deceitfully

di-ˈsēt-fə-lē 

adverb

deceitfulness noun

Synonyms

• crooked
• defrauding
• dishonest
• double-dealing
• false
• fraudulent

Choose the Right Synonym for deceitful

dishonest, deceitful, mendacious, untruthful mean unworthy of trust or belief.

dishonest implies a willful perversion of truth in order to deceive, cheat, or defraud.

a swindle usually involves two dishonest people

deceitful usually implies an intent to mislead and commonly suggests a false appearance or double-dealing.

the secret affairs of a deceitful spouse

mendacious may suggest bland or even harmlessly mischievous deceit and when used of people often suggests a habit of telling untruths.

mendacious tales of adventure

untruthful stresses a discrepancy between what is said and fact or reality.

an untruthful account of their actions

Examples of deceitful in a Sentence

charged the store owner with such deceitful practices as inflating the list prices for items only so he could put them on sale at drastically reduced prices

the deceitful salesman neglected to mention some important information about the used car

Recent Examples on the Web

The disreputable and deceitful approach many companies have taken to demonstrate decarbonization remains a persistent, global challenge. —JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024

The pair also emphasized that claims of Turner being deceitful about his dating history had no bearing on their split. —Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024

McKeever and other residents believe the way county officials handled that request was deceitful and sneaky. —Joan Meiners, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024

Of course, leaders in democracies try to burnish their records in all sorts of cynical and even deceitful ways, but their statements tend to face greater scrutiny and resistance. —Luis R. Martínez, Foreign Affairs, 10 May 2023

Word History

Etymology

see deceit

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

deceitful

adjective

de·​ceit·​ful di-ˈsēt-fəl 

1

: practicing or tending to practice trickery

2

: showing or containing deceit or fraud : deceptive

a deceitful answer

deceitfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

deceitfulness

-fəl-nəs

noun