deceive

1 of 2

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

deceiver

2 of 2

noun

de·​ceiv·​er di-ˈsē-vər 

plural -s

: one that deceives

Synonyms of deceive

Verb

• 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

Verb

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

Verb

While self-driving cars learn from static obstacles, fraud models must navigate environments where every variable is actively attempting to deceive the system. — Wayne Hamilton, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Pitinan Packable Rain Jacket With Hood, $27 Packing for a short weekend getaway is deceiving. — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2026

The state estimates that about 350,000 residents were exposed to the Cambridge Analytica breach, but McGinn asked jurors to consider that Facebook deceived all New Mexicans when making statements regarding privacy and violent content. — Mikella Schuettler, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026

Six years later, over 2,000 colleges and universities are still test-optional – although the categorization may be deceiving, as some scholarships may depend on SAT scores. — Beth Kania-Gosche, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

Noun

Middle English, alteration (influenced by -er, -ere -er) of deceivour, modification (influenced by deceiven) of Middle French deceveur, from Old French deceveor, from Old French deceivre, decevoir + -eor -or

First Known Use

Verb

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