deceit
Art of lying
Deceit is the act or practice of deceiving—making someone believe what isn't true.
It suggests deliberate dishonesty and cunning: The scheme was built on deceit from the start.
Deceit implies sustained or strategic deception rather than a single lie.
A person full of deceit is deceitful; what they do is deceptive.
Sly, strategic dishonesty
- slynessCunning in manner
- craftinessShrewd, devious cleverness
- wilinessShrewd deceptive cleverness
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
scheming · deviousness · foxiness · chicanery · shrewdness · artfulness · underhandedness · conniving
Deliberate violation of trust
- backstabbingCovert betrayal of trust
- perfidyDeliberate breach of trust
- disloyaltyBreach of allegiance
- double-crossTreacherous deception of partner
treason · sedition · sabotage · defection · sellout · Judas kiss · stab in the back · turncoat
Insincere and deceptive
- double-dealingDeceptive practice of betrayal
- hypocrisyPretense of virtue
- insincerityLack of genuine feeling
- dissimulationConcealing true feelings
dissemblance · falseness · pretense · masquerade · charade · facade · sham · posturing
Deliberate untrue statement
- fibTrivial, harmless falsehood
- untruthA false statement
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- whopperOutsized thing or untruth
prevarication · falsification · misrepresentation · perjury · disinformation · misinformation · propaganda · tall tale
Dishonest money-making scheme
- conArgument against
- swindleDeception for financial gain
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
charlatan · phishing · flimflam · pyramid scheme · grift · hustle · bamboozle · quackery
Pressured compliance through threats
- exploitationSelfish use of others
- maneuveringSkillful directional control
- machinationCrafty scheming, often hostile
- brainwashingCoercive psychological manipulation
misdirection · puppeteering · mind games · guilt-tripping · emotional blackmail · love bombing · fearmongering · playing both sides
guile
Sly, strategic dishonesty
- slynessCunning in manner
- craftinessShrewd, devious cleverness
- wilinessShrewd deceptive cleverness
trickery · scheming · deviousness · foxiness · chicanery · shrewdness · artfulness · underhandedness · conniving · wiles
treachery
Deliberate violation of trust
- backstabbingCovert betrayal of trust
- perfidyDeliberate breach of trust
- disloyaltyBreach of allegiance
double-cross · treason · sedition · sabotage · defection · sellout · Judas kiss · stab in the back · turncoat · quisling
two-faced
Insincere and deceptive
- double-dealingDeceptive practice of betrayal
- hypocrisyPretense of virtue
- insincerityLack of genuine feeling
dissimulation · dissemblance · falseness · pretense · masquerade · charade · facade · sham · posturing · affectation
falsehood
Deliberate untrue statement
- fibTrivial, harmless falsehood
- untruthA false statement
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
whopper · prevarication · falsification · misrepresentation · perjury · disinformation · misinformation · propaganda · tall tale · white lie
scam
Dishonest money-making scheme
- conArgument against
- swindleDeception for financial gain
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
hoax · charlatan · phishing · flimflam · pyramid scheme · grift · hustle · bamboozle · quackery · snake oil
coercion
Pressured compliance through threats
- exploitationSelfish use of others
- maneuveringSkillful directional control
- machinationCrafty scheming, often hostile
brainwashing · misdirection · puppeteering · mind games · guilt-tripping · emotional blackmail · love bombing · fearmongering · playing both sides · bait and switch
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- dirty trickscheating, lying, trickery, scam, con
- insincerityinsincerity, phoniness, fakeness, falseness, pretense
- Mistakes & Liesmistakes, lies, errors, error, mistake
- relationship problemsaffair, disloyalty, adultery, unfaithfulness, cheating
- Untrustworthinessdisloyalty, infidelity, cheating, betrayal, lying
deceithonesty
Truthfulness, sincerity
truth · truthfulness · veracity · veraciousness · candor
deceitintegrity
Moral soundness and consistency
probity · uprightness · trustworthiness · righteousness · virtuousness
deceitfrankness
Direct, unguarded honesty
openness · forthrightness · candor · directness · straightforwardness
- deceptive practicesDishonest methods to mislead
- deceptive advertisingDishonest product claims
- deceptive pricingDishonest cost presentation
- deceptive marketingPromotional dishonesty toward buyers
- deceptive adsMarketing that misleads buyers
- deceptive appearanceMisleading outward presentation
deception, deceive, deceptive, deceitful, deceiving, deceiver, deceptively, deceitfulness, deceits