deceit

[ dih-seet ]

noun

1. the act or practice of deceiving; concealment or distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading; duplicity; fraud; cheating:

   Once she exposed their deceit, no one ever trusted them again.

   Synonyms: dissimulation, deception

2. an act or device intended to deceive; trick; stratagem.
3. the quality of being deceitful; duplicity; falseness:

   a man full of deceit.

   Antonyms: sincerity, honesty

deceit

/ dɪˈsiːt /

noun

1. the act or practice of deceiving
2. a statement, act, or device intended to mislead; fraud; trick
3. a tendency to deceive

Other Words From

• nonde·ceit noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of deceit¹

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English deceite, from Anglo-French, Old French, noun use of feminine of deceit “deceived,” past participle of deceivre “to deceive”; deceive

Word History and Origins

Origin of deceit¹

C13: from Old French deceite, from deceivre to deceive

Synonym Study

See duplicity

Example Sentences

Yet, it was an elaborate scam - a web of deceit spun by scammers who manipulated her every move and drained her and her family’s life savings.

From BBC

By sorting truth from deceit, holding the adage that humanity’s greatest weapon is the lie, the Sisterhood wields influence throughout the galactic Imperium by inserting their representatives at the side of every ruler.

From Salon

When she realised it had been a phishing email, she contacted her bank and cancelled the card – but the deceit did not end there.

From BBC

"The impact of his deceit and manipulation will be long felt, but justice has been served today," McGrath said.

From BBC

A few months later MacCallum was arrested and the full extent of the theft and deceit began to unravel.

From BBC

Related Words

• chicanery
• deception
• dishonesty
• duplicity
• fraud
• hypocrisy
• treachery
• trickery

More About Deceit

What does deceit mean?

Deceit is the act or practice of deceiving—lying, misleading, or otherwise hiding or distorting the truth. The word deception often means the same thing and is perhaps more commonly used.

Deceit doesn’t just involve lying. It can consist of misrepresenting or omitting the truth or more complicated cover-ups. Anything that involves intentionally misleading someone is deceit.

The word deceit often implies a pattern of behavior, rather than a one-time act. The adjective deceitful can describe something that deceives or is intended to deceive, or someone who is known for engaging in deceit.

Less commonly, the word deceit can refer to an action, scheme, or trick intended to deceive, as in It was a clever deceit, but I didn’t fall for it. 

Another less common sense of the word refers to the quality of being deceitful. A deceitful person can be said to be full of deceit.

Example: I’m sick of your constant lying and deceit—I can’t trust anything you say!

Where does deceit come from?

The first records of the word deceit come from the 1200s. It comes from the Old French verb deceivre, meaning “to deceive.” Deceit and related words like deceive and deception ultimately derive from the Latin verb dēcipere, meaning “to ensnare” (in the literal sense of trapping someone or an animal).

Forms of deceit include attempts to mislead or trick someone or trap them with a deceptive scheme. Deceit always involves deceiving someone, but it may not involve outright lying. Some forms of deceit involve concealing the truth or simply omitting the truth. Just because you didn’t lie doesn’t mean you didn’t engage in deceit.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to deceit?

• deceitful (adjective)

What are some synonyms for deceit?

• deception
• duplicity
• dishonesty

What are some words that share a root or word element with deceit? 

• deceive
• deceptive
• deceivable

What are some words that often get used in discussing deceit?

• lie
• mislead
• liar
• trick
• distort
• omit
• truth
• web
• corruption

How is deceit used in real life?

Deceit and deception are often used to mean the same thing, but deception is perhaps more commonly used because it’s slightly less formal. Both words can be used in all kinds of contexts, though of course they are common in political discussion.

Judging by my last tweet the people of this country have had enough of the pure deceit we are being fed
Let’s stay safe let’s stay strong let’s say enough Let’s stay together x

— Robert Lindsay (@RobertLindsay) December 8, 2020

“It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” ― Noël Coward

— Eric Barker (@bakadesuyo) December 7, 2020

Try using deceit!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of deceit?

A. duplicity
B. deception
C. description
D. dishonesty