deceive

verb

de·ceive di-ˈsēv

deceived; deceiving

Synonyms of deceive next

transitive verb

: to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid

deceiving customers about the condition of the cars

bluffing at poker in order to deceive the other players

archaic : ensnare

… he it was whose guile … deceived the mother of mankind …—

John Milton

obsolete : to be false to

You have deceived our trust …—

Shakespeare

archaic : to fail to fulfill

… nor are my hopes deceived.—

John Dryden

archaic : to while away

These occupations oftentimes deceived the listless hour …—

William Wordsworth

obsolete : cheat

… deceived me of a good sum of money …—

William Oldys

intransitive verb

: to make someone believe something that is not true : to practice deceit

also : to give a false impression

appearances can deceive

deceiver noun

deceivingly

di-ˈsē-viŋ-lē

adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for deceive

deceive, mislead, delude, beguile mean to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness.

deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness.

tried to deceive me about the cost

mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth.

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

Example Sentences

Her parents punished her for trying to deceive them. He was accused of deceiving the customer about the condition of the car. People who think they can eat whatever they want without harming their health are deceiving themselves. Remember that appearances can deceive—just because something looks good doesn't mean it is good.

Recent Examples on the Web And what is the problem with that? Socrates: The problem is that these models are being used to deceive people, to manipulate them, and to control them. —

Cade Metz, New York Times, 16 May 2023 Millions of TurboTax users may automatically qualify for up to $85 this month after a $141 million settlement in a case where the company was accused of deceiving low-income customers. —

Noor Adatia, Dallas News, 10 May 2023 But don’t be deceived by the lightweight texture: This moisturizer does a good job of hydrating drier skin types while protecting your face from the sun, too. —

Daley Quinn, Health, 4 May 2023 According to prosecutors, Kwon also allegedly engaged in market manipulation and deceived investors about certain aspects of the project. —

Michael P. Regan, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2023 The court ruled in favor of Grimaldi, saying the film was not likely to deceive or cause confusion in replicating a trademarked routine. —

Leah Vredenbregt, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2023 July 2022: Leaders of the US Senate Intelligence Committee ask the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether TikTok deceived the public about Chinese employees’ access to American user data. —

Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2023 Sebastian County Circuit Judge Stephen Tabor ruled in August the city misused customer money from the Sanitation Department from July 2015 until May 2017, noting the city purposefully deceived the public about its recycling program. —

Monica Brich, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2023 The lawsuit alleges that state officials and an organizer, Perla Huerta, deceived the migrants into getting on the flights. —

Jim Saunders, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deceive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.