deceive
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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to mislead by deliberate misrepresentation or lies
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to delude (oneself)
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to be unfaithful to (one's sexual partner)
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archaic to disappoint
his hopes were deceived
Usage
What does deceive mean? Deceive means to lie, mislead, or otherwise hide or distort the truth.The act or practice of deceiving can be called deceit or deception.Lying is only one way of deceiving. Deceiving can consist of misrepresenting or omitting the truth or more complicated cover-ups. People can even deceive themselves by avoiding the truth.The adjectives deceptive and deceitful can describe something that deceives or is intended to deceive. Someone who is known for deceiving others can be described as deceitful. Someone who is easily deceived can be described as deceivable.Sometimes, the word deceive can be used in the context of things that are naturally or innocently misleading to one’s perception (without someone doing the deceiving), as in Do my eyes deceive me? The adjective deceiving can be used in this sense, as in Looks can be deceiving.Example: A lot of advertising is intended to deceive us into thinking we need something.
Related Words
See cheat.
Other Word Forms
- deceivability noun
- deceivable adjective
- deceivableness noun
- deceivably adverb
- deceiver noun
- deceiving noun
- deceivingly adverb
- interdeceive verb
- nondeceiving adjective
- predeceive verb (used with object)
- redeceive verb (used with object)
- well-deceived adjective
Etymology
Origin of deceive
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English deceiven, from Old French deceivre, from Latin dēcipere, literally, “to ensnare,” equivalent to dē- de- + -cipere, combining form of capere “to take”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Now they are able to do more damage using artificial intelligence to simulate fake grassroots opposition to clean air measures, and they are surreptitiously using the identities of real people to deceive regulators.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
“This echo chamber was used to deceive you.”
From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026
Curran was selected after a sparkling Hundred campaign for winners Oval Invincibles, and having a developed an elaborate super-slow "moon ball" to deceive opposition batters.
From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026
People who fabricate research or deceive the public deserve scrutiny.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
Not to deceive myself, I must reply—No: I felt desolate to a degree.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
