Definition of dishonestnext
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as in false
marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value dishonest appraisals of art works that were part of an elaborate scheme to defraud insurance companies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dishonest differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of dishonest are deceitful, mendacious, and untruthful. While all these words mean "unworthy of trust or belief," dishonest implies a willful perversion of truth in order to deceive, cheat, or defraud.

a swindle usually involves two dishonest people

When is deceitful a more appropriate choice than dishonest?

While the synonyms deceitful and dishonest are close in meaning, deceitful usually implies an intent to mislead and commonly suggests a false appearance or double-dealing.

the secret affairs of a deceitful spouse

When might mendacious be a better fit than dishonest?

The words mendacious and dishonest are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mendacious may suggest bland or even harmlessly mischievous deceit and when used of people often suggests a habit of telling untruths.

mendacious tales of adventure

When could untruthful be used to replace dishonest?

The words untruthful and dishonest can be used in similar contexts, but untruthful stresses a discrepancy between what is said and fact or reality.

an untruthful account of their actions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dishonest In The Corner That Held Them, rarely does desire raise its head as the nuns busy themselves with dishonest bishops, honest con men, collapsing spires, inconclusive visions, ecclesiastical intrigues, catty infighting, attempts at levitation, and the plague. Air Mail, 14 Feb. 2026 That doesn't mean the dealer is dishonest, though. Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026 Multiple points of validation will help combat dishonest applicants, Rowe told lawmakers at the time. Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2026 Erdoğan mocked these initiatives and described them as dishonest. Kaya Genç, The Dial, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dishonest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dishonest
Adjective
  • These false or misleading statements are characteristic of politicians with questionable integrity who are willing to say anything for political gain.
    Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Hartsuch, a proponent of using ivermectin to treat COVID-19, alleges that in December 2021, Kent Nebel, then the executive director of the Board of Medicine, indicated that 17 Iowa doctors had complaints filed against them for spreading false or misleading information about COVID-19.
    Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • California has paid roughly $20 billion in fraudulent unemployment benefits to scammers, about 11% of all benefits distributed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, state officials said this week.
    Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Over a 14-year period from 2012 to 2016, hundreds of thousands of Wells Fargo’s Community Bank employees opened millions of unauthorized or fraudulent accounts and other financial products to meet excessive sales goals.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Richards and the governor’s office pushed back on false assertions that Newsom and his wife, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, were stealing money from the state through her office that same day.
    Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Air power cannot overthrow a government, some say, which is on one level true—a fighter jet cannot take the keys to the presidential palace, after all—and on another level, obviously false.
    Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Guillard, 41, of Houston, published more than 100 videos that made erroneous allegations against Scofield, according to court records.
    Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 23 Feb. 2026
  • The statement updated an earlier erroneous statement that the mall closed, police said.
    Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Then again, averages can be deceptive.
    Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
  • The recovered funds come from 89 separate settlements and other restitution paid back by doctors, nurses and health care systems after fraud investigations related to deceptive billing practices, pill and medication theft, and other fraud.
    Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.
    Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Supporters of recent state AI regulations said the measures will address potential threats to public safety and personal privacy, and to counter any mendacious actions created by AI, while not hindering innovation.
    Hope Moses, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • And no more crooked mail-in ballots except for illness, disability, military or travel, none.
    Irene Wright, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
  • And no more crooked mail-in ballots except for illness, disability, military, or travel.
    TIME Staff, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Federal authorities announced an investigation Friday of two immigration officers who appeared to have made untruthful statements under oath about a shooting in Minneapolis last month.
    Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Trump, of course, was rude, untruthful, and excessively, if not quite so egregiously, long-winded in his first term, too.
    Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dishonest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dishonest. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

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