deceitful
dih-SEET-ful
/dɪˈsiːt.fəl/
Guilty of or involving misleading others; intentionally untruthful.
General, versatile term for intentionally misleading someone.
The story behind the word. Latin decipere literally meant 'to catch or take in a trap'. When someone deceives you, they are figuratively luring you into a net or pitfall. The noun form deceit entered Middle English from Old French in the 1300s.
Word relationships
- dishonest: Dishonest is a general lack of integrity, whereas deceitful emphasizes active efforts to mislead.
- duplicitous: Duplicitous implies double-dealing, while deceitful applies to any act of misleading.
- honest: Honest means truthful and free of deceit.
- trustworthy: Trustworthy means deserving of trust and reliable.
Commonly confused with
- deceptive: Deceptive can describe an object or appearance that tricks the mind, whereas deceitful usually describes a person's deliberate moral choices.
Word family
- deceit (noun): The action or practice of deceiving someone.
- deceitfully (adverb): In a deceitful manner.
Collocations
- deceitful practice
- deceitful person
- deceitful promise
Idioms & expressions
- wolf in sheep's clothing
- pulling the wool over eyes
Example sentences
- "The advertising campaign was found to be deceitful, promising medical results that were completely unsubstantiated." Consumer rights
Memory hook
DECEITFUL people RECEIVE full punishment when caught. Intentionally misleading.
When not to use
Do not use when someone makes an honest mistake or gives wrong directions by accident.
Fun facts
- Shares the Latin root capere (to take) with 'receive', 'perceive', and 'conceive'.
Related words
Explore more words
disinformation, fraud, treachery, perfidy, duplicity, equivocate
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.