Synonyms of deceive

deceive 1 of 3

verb (1)

di-ˈsēv 

as in to fool

to cause to believe what is untrue

he went to great lengths to deceive his family about the nature of his new job at the mall

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fool
• trick
• mislead
• delude
• tease
• misinform
• misguide
• beguile
• hoodwink
• dupe
• bamboozle
• kid
• cheat
• sucker
• bluff
• hoax
• suck in
• sting
• cozen
• catch
• humbug
• hornswoggle
• con
• gull
• juggle
• burn
• spoof
• take in
• have
• have on
• snooker
• snow
• gaff
• buffalo
• fake out
• gammon
• string along
• defraud
• pull one's leg
• do a number on
• lead one down the garden path
• pull the wool over one's eyes
• swindle
• shortchange
• stick
• put on
• bleed
• fleece
• mulct
• flimflam
• diddle
• skin
• hustle
• chisel
• squeeze
• rook
• euchre

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undeceive
• reveal
• expose
• uncover
• show up
• unmask
• disclose
• tell
• debunk
• divulge
• unveil
• disabuse
• uncloak
• disillusion
• disenchant

deceiving

2 of 3

adjective

as in misleading

tending or having power to deceive

the deceiving nature of most flat maps of the globe causes some people to believe erroneously that Greenland is actually bigger than South America

Synonyms & Similar Words

• misleading
• deceptive
• false
• incorrect
• deceitful
• specious
• beguiling
• fallacious
• delusive
• ambiguous
• deluding
• inaccurate
• fraudulent
• crooked
• delusory
• subtle
• lying
• trick
• cunning
• treacherous
• dishonest
• distracting
• slick
• shifty
• wrong
• wily
• perplexing
• sneaky
• tricky
• puzzling
• crafty
• confounding
• counterfeit
• duplicitous
• untrustworthy
• underhanded
• forged
• subtile
• artful
• shady
• artificial
• devious
• sly
• fake
• foxy
• mendacious
• untruthful
• faithless
• underhand
• insidious
• defrauding
• bewildering
• perfidious
• dissembling
• guileful
• trickish
• evasive
• feigned
• hypocritical
• bogus
• sneaking
• sham
• phony
• insincere
• spurious
• knavish
• ambidextrous
• jive
• fast
• double-dealing
• equivocal
• backhanded
• circuitous
• two-faced
• left-handed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightforward
• plain
• open
• direct
• forthright
• straight
• aboveboard
• frank
• illuminating
• candid
• nondeceptive
• outspoken
• revealing
• explanatory
• clarifying
• plainspoken
• truthful
• revelatory
• honest
• openhearted
• trustworthy
• free-spoken
• foursquare
• elucidative

deceiving

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of deceive

as in tricking

to cause to believe what is untrue

he went to great lengths to deceive his family about the nature of his new job at the mall

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tricking
• fooling
• misleading
• teasing
• misguiding
• deluding
• misinforming
• kidding
• duping
• conning
• suckering
• hoodwinking
• gulling
• bamboozling
• cheating
• hoaxing
• bluffing
• beguiling
• cozening
• catching
• juggling
• stinging
• snookering
• spoofing
• humbugging
• snowing
• sucking in
• having
• burning
• gaffing
• taking in
• stringing along
• gammoning
• faking out
• having on
• buffaloing
• hornswoggling
• defrauding
• pulling one's leg
• doing a number on
• swindling
• leading one down the garden path
• pulling the wool over one's eyes
• sticking
• fleecing
• shortchanging
• bleeding
• putting on
• mulcting
• rooking
• hustling
• chiseling
• squeezing
• diddling
• flimflamming
• euchring
• skinning

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• revealing
• exposing
• uncovering
• disclosing
• undeceiving
• unmasking
• telling
• debunking
• divulging
• showing up
• unveiling
• disillusioning
• disabusing
• uncloaking
• disenchanting

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb deceive differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of deceive are beguile, delude, and mislead. While all these words 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

In what contexts can beguile take the place of deceive?

Although the words beguile and deceive have much in common, beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

When is delude a more appropriate choice than deceive?

While the synonyms delude and deceive are close in meaning, delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth.

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

When is it sensible to use mislead instead of deceive?

The words mislead and deceive can be used in similar contexts, but mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of deceive

Verb

Svetlana Petriychuk wrote the play Finist, the Brave Falcon, based on real events, about Russian women deceived into marrying ISIS fighters and traveling to Syria. —Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026

But such is the startling sophistication of artificial intelligence, and the reckless abandon with which it is deployed to deceive online, cynicism seems a healthy side-dish to many viral moments. —Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026

Adjective

In our experience, these mid-sized sets can be very deceiving. —Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025

Few things in life are more deceiving than a Week 1 game, especially those played in a rainstorm on the other side of an ocean. —Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025

Verb

Defamation, which refers to a false statement of fact that is reputationally damaging, and false light, which is a technically true statement but is presented in a highly deceiving fashion, are other possible legal actions. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 Mar. 2026

Looks, too, can be deceiving for those not on the grounds. —Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026