dishonest
adjective
Synonyms
- lying
- mendacious
- untruthful
Example Sentences
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 19 Aug. 2022 Honesty and transparency about our country's history is imperative, shielding children is intellectually dishonest. The Opportunity Agenda, Forbes, 1 July 2022 Attorneys found to be dishonest on their bar applications have had their law licenses suspended for five months or more, recent cases show. Andrew Ryan, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Aug. 2022 Companies will often argue that this is an abundantly sneaky and dishonest practice. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2022 There is a space to be more honest and aggressive in their language without dehumanizing and dishonest rhetoric. Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2022 The sergeant who amended Crist’s report was found by investigators to have been dishonest. San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2022 Aden wrote that part of the consent decree’s mandate is to ensure officers are more uniformly disciplined and that officers who are found to be dishonest should, in most cases, be fired. Adam Ferrise, cleveland, 19 July 2022 The Good News: Just like ministers of Jesus Christ, do not be two-faced or dishonest for personal gain. Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 11 July 2022 See More Word History
Middle English, from Anglo-French deshoneste, from des- dis- + honeste honest
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
dishonest
adjective
dishonest
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- misleading
- mendacious
- untruthful
- erroneous
- lying
- false
- hypocritical
- untrue
- insincere
- fallacious
- hypocrite
- two-faced
- perjurious
- mealymouthed
- smooth-tongued
- double-dealing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- honest
- truthful
- sincere
- straightforward
- true
- open
- candid
- veracious
- earnest
- moral
- scrupulous
- conscientious
- trustworthy
- reliable
- plainspoken
- honorable
- virtuous
- ethical
- dependable
- righteous
- respectable
- principled
- decent
- upright
- straight
- just
- trusty
- trustable
- upstanding
- right-minded
Synonyms & Similar Words
- fraudulent
- deceptive
- crooked
- shady
- duplicitous
- underhanded
- false
- rogue
- shifty
- fast
- underhand
- guileful
- deceitful
- unscrupulous
- unethical
- unprincipled
- bent
- artful
- treacherous
- deceiving
- double-dealing
- sharp
- unconscionable
- cunning
- delusive
- subtle
- delusory
- deluding
- sly
- crafty
- wily
- sneaky
- perfidious
- cagey
- devious
- defrauding
- slick
- slippery
- beguiling
- insidious
- furtive
- tricky
- foxy
- cagy
- sneaking
- trickish
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- honest
- straight
- ethical
- honorable
- conscientious
- scrupulous
- decent
- just
- upright
- aboveboard
- forthright
- straightforward
Synonyms & Similar Words
- fraudulent
- deceptive
- deceitful
- false
- misleading
- duplicitous
- defrauding
- crooked
- specious
- deceiving
- fallacious
- double-dealing
- delusive
- delusory
- deluding
- beguiling
- spurious
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- honest
- truthful
- legitimate
- true
- valid
- aboveboard
Synonym Chooser
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.
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 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.
The words untruthful and dishonest can be used in similar contexts, but untruthful stresses a discrepancy between what is said and fact or reality.