deceive

verb

de·​ceive di-ˈsēv 

deceived; deceiving

transitive verb

1

: 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

2

archaic : ensnare

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

—John Milton

3

a

obsolete : to be false to

You have deceived our trust …

—Shakespeare

b

archaic : to fail to fulfill

… nor are my hopes deceived.

—John Dryden

4

archaic : to while away

These occupations oftentimes deceived the listless hour …

—William Wordsworth

5

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

Synonyms

• fool
• trick
• mislead

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

Examples of deceive in a Sentence

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

The New York Republican was sentenced in April after admitting last year to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of 11 people — including his own family members — to make donations to his campaign. —Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025

But looks can be deceiving, and people might have been wrong about what kind of rodent made the now-famous imprint. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025

But an apple tree can be deceiving. —Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 14 Oct. 2025

In the decades that followed, Freeman, who died in 2025, assembled a vast array of literary fakes, collecting books whose content is deceiving in nature. —Big Think, 13 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French deceivre, from Latin decipere, from de- + capere to take — more at heave entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Phrases Containing deceive

• deceive oneself into thinking
• self-deceive

Rhymes for deceive

• achieve
• believe
• conceive
• naive
• perceive
• receive
• relieve
• reprieve
• retrieve
• breve
• cleave
• cleeve

Kids Definition

deceive

verb

de·​ceive di-ˈsēv 

deceived; deceiving

1

: to cause to believe what is untrue : mislead

deceived the customer about the condition of the car

2

: to use or practice deceit

deceiver noun

deceivingly

-ˈsē-viŋ-lē 

adverb

Legal Definition

deceive

verb

de·​ceive

deceived; deceiving

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to practice deceit compare defraud, mislead