deceives; deceived; deceiving
: to make (someone) believe something that is not true
Her parents punished her for trying to deceive them.
The wall doesn't look real—it wouldn't deceive [=fool] a child.
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.
Unless my eyes deceive me [=unless I am mistaken about what I am seeing], there are no children in the room.
It's no use deceiving ourselves into thinking [=it will not be helpful if we pretend] that everything will be fine.
Remember that appearances can deceive—just because something looks good doesn't mean it is good.
Cite this Entry
“Deceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/deceive. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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