de·ceive
(dĭ-sēv́)
[Middle English deceiven, from Old French deceveir, from Vulgar Latin* dēcipēre, from Latin dēcipere, to ensnare, deceive, dē-, de-, + capere, to seize.]
verb: -ceived, -ceiv·ing, -ceives.
transitive verb
- To cause to believe what is not true; mislead.
- Archaic To catch by guile; ensnare.
intransitive verb
- To practice deceit.
- To give a false impression: appearances can deceive.
derivatives
- de·ceiv́a·ble
- adjective
- de·ceiv́er
- noun
- de·ceiv́ing·ly
- adverb
synonyms:
deceive, betray, mislead, beguile, delude, dupe, hoodwink, bamboozle, double-cross These verbs mean to lead another into error, danger, or a disadvantageous position by underhand means. Deceive involves the deliberate misrepresentation of the truth: “We are inclined to believe those whom we do not know, because they have never deceived us” (Samuel Johnson) Betray implies treachery: “When you betray somebody else, you also betray yourself” (Isaac Bashevis Singer) Mislead means to lead in the wrong direction or into error of thought or action: “My manhood, long misled by wandering fires,/Followed false lights” (John Dryden) Beguile suggests deceiving by means of charm or allure: They beguiled unwary investors with tales of overnight fortunes. To delude is to mislead the mind or judgment. The government deluded the public about the dangers of low-level radiation. Dupe implies playing upon another's susceptibilities or naiveté: The shoppers were duped by false advertising. Hoodwink refers to deluding by trickery: It is difficult to hoodwink a smart lawyer. Bamboozle means to delude by the use of such tactics as hoaxing or artful persuasion: “Perhaps if I wanted to be understood or to understand I would bamboozle myself into belief, but I am a reporter” (Graham Greene) Double-cross implies the betrayal of a confidence or the willful breaking of a pledge: The thief double-crossed his accomplice.
