deceiver

American  

[dih-see-ver] / dɪˈsi vər /

noun

1. one who misleads another or others by a false appearance or statement, especially one who does so habitually.

   Far from being a historian, he is a deceiver who invents, manipulates, and modifies documents.

2. Often Deceiver the devil; Satan.

   My orders as a bishop are to execute the holy rites for demonic exorcism; I do not plan to leave these good sisters at the mercy of the Deceiver.

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Other Word Forms

• predeceiver noun

Etymology

Origin of deceiver

First recorded in 1350–1400; deceiv(e) ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Trauma is a nasty deceiver, both in the way it makes survivors distrust their memories and the way we, its witnesses, interpret it in the context of everything we see.

From Salon • May 20, 2023

Jacob was a popular boy’s name in Old Testament times, and meant "the one who grasps," "the angler," "the deceiver" or "the supplanter."

From Fox News • Mar. 20, 2022

A deceiver distorts evidence with the aim of making you form a false belief.

From Washington Post • Jul. 19, 2019

When we look at photos of Mr. Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, coming and going from court, he tends to be smiling, the proud, bold deceiver.

From New York Times • Dec. 8, 2018

Phineas was a poor deceiver, having had no practice.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles