Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense deceives, present participle deceiving, past tense, past participle deceived
1. verb
If you deceive someone, you make them believe something that is not true, usually in order to get some advantage for yourself.
He has deceived and disillusioned us all. [VERB noun]
She deceived her father into thinking she was going to school. [VERB noun + into]
Synonyms: take in, trick, fool [informal], cheat More Synonyms of deceive
2. verb
If you deceiveyourself, you do not admit to yourself something that you know is true.
Alcoholics are notorious for their ability to deceive themselves about the extentof their problem. [VERB pronoun-reflexive]
3. verb
If something deceives you, it gives you a wrong impression and makes you believe something that is not true.
His gentle, kindly appearance did not deceive me. [VERB noun]
The boys, if my eyes did not deceive me, were praying. [VERB noun]
deceive in British English
(dɪˈsiːv)
verb(transitive)
1.
to mislead by deliberate misrepresentation or lies
2.
to delude (oneself)
3.
to be unfaithful to (one's sexual partner)
4. archaic
to disappoint
his hopes were deceived
Derived forms
deceivable (deˈceivable)
adjective
deceivably (deˈceivably)
adverb
deceivableness (deˈceivableness) or deceivability (deˌceivaˈbility)
noun
deceiver (deˈceiver)
noun
deceiving (deˈceiving)
noun, adjective
deceivingly (deˈceivingly)
adverb
Word origin
C13: from Old French deceivre, from Latin dēcipere to ensnare, cheat, from capere to take
deceive in American English
(diˈsiv; dɪˈsiv)
verb transitiveWord forms: deˈceived or deˈceiving
1.
to make (a person) believe what is not true; delude; mislead
2. Archaic
to be false to; betray
3. Archaic
to while away (time)
verb intransitive
4.
to use deceit; lie
SYNONYMY NOTE: deceive implies deliberate misrepresentation of facts by words, actions, etc., generallyto further one's ends [deceived into buying fraudulent stocks]; to mislead is to cause to follow the wrong course or to err in conduct or action, although notalways by deliberate deception [misled by the sign into going to the wrong floor]; beguile implies the use of wiles and enticing prospects in deceiving or misleading [beguiled by promises of a fortune]; to delude is to fool someone so completely that what is false is accepted as being true; , betray implies a breaking of faith while appearing to be loyal
Derived forms
deceivable (deˈceivable)
adjective
deceiver (deˈceiver)
noun
deceivingly (deˈceivingly)
adverb
Word origin
ME deceiven < OFr deceveir < L decipere, to ensnare, deceive < de-, from + capere, to take: see have
Examples of 'deceive' in a sentence
deceive
Is deceiving your partner really the key to happiness?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
One deceived his grandparents into giving him cash for his phone bills.
The Sun (2008)
The premise of the show was to trick and deceive people.
The Sun (2006)
The manner he continued to deceive people and think he could get away with it is unbelievable.
The Sun (2010)
And except for the fact that appearances can be deceiving.
The Sun (2015)
The nine years she deceived people and lived the life of a wealthy woman should be what she spends in jail.
The Sun (2007)
You have twin goals: to help partner and deceive declarer.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We knew we didn't deceive these people and had told their story.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
This woman clearly deceived two people, and perhaps more.
The Sun (2009)
This is incorrect; appearances can be deceiving.
Miller, Roger LeRoy & Fishe, Raymond P. H. Microeconomics: Price Theory in Practice (1995)
It looks like a reward for grievous failure; and the appearance does not deceive.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
As for those imbalances, appearances can be deceiving.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Is this not deceiving people?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
But appearances can be deceiving.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
She's been deceived by three people in her life and has lost two friends as well as the boyfriend she thought was special.
The Sun (2006)
IT may seem like a healthy choice, but appearances can be deceiving.
The Sun (2013)
Seems like many, if not most, of the episodes involved one of them deceiving the other.
Christianity Today (2000)
Appearances did not deceive.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Online ticketing scams are the fastest growing area of fraud as thousands of people are deceived into paying huge sums for non-existent tickets, police have warned.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
deceive
British English: deceive /dɪˈsiːv/ VERB
If you deceive someone, you make them believe something that is not true.
I am really hurt that he deceived me.
American English: deceive
Arabic: يَخْدَعُ
Brazilian Portuguese: enganar
Chinese: 欺骗
Croatian: zavarati
Czech: oklamat
Danish: bedrage
Dutch: bedriegen
European Spanish: engañar
Finnish: pettää harhauttaa
French: tromper
German: täuschen
Greek: εξαπατώ
Italian: ingannare
Japanese: だます
Korean: 속이다
Norwegian: bedra
Polish: oszukać
European Portuguese: enganar
Romanian: a înșela
Russian: обманывать
Latin American Spanish: engañar
Swedish: lura
Thai: หลอกลวง
Turkish: yanıltmak
Ukrainian: обманювати
Vietnamese: lừa dối
Chinese translation of 'deceive'
deceive
(dɪˈsiːv)
vt
(= fool) 欺骗(騙) (qīpiàn)
to deceive sb into doing sth骗(騙)某人去做某事 (piàn mǒurén qù zuò mǒushì)
to deceive o.s.自欺 (zìqī)
(verb)
Definition
to mislead by lying
He has deceived and disillusioned us all.
Synonyms
take in
trick
He'll be upset when he finds out how you tricked him.
fool (informal)
Art dealers fool a lot of people.
cheat
He cheated people out of their life savings.
con (informal)
He claimed that the businessman had conned him out of his life savings.
kid (informal)
Are you sure you're not kidding me?
I'm just kidding.
stiff (slang)
sting (informal)
mislead
Ministers knowingly misled the public.
betray
lead (someone) on (informal)
hoax
He recently hoaxed a number of celebrities.
dupe
Some of the offenders duped the psychologists.
beguile
He used his newspapers to beguile his readers.
delude
We delude ourselves that we are in control.
swindle
He swindled investors out of millions of pounds.
outwit
ensnare
bamboozle (informal)
He was bamboozled by conmen.
hoodwink
Many people are hoodwinked by the so-called beauty industry.