deceitful
Prone to lying
Deceitful describes someone or something given to deception—deliberately misleading others through lies, trickery, or false appearances.
A deceitful person makes a habit of dishonesty; a deceitful smile masks true intentions.
The word suggests not just a single lie but a pattern or disposition: He proved deceitful in all his business dealings.
Not speaking facts
- liarOne who speaks falsely
- duplicitousDeliberately deceptive in nature
- disingenuousFeigning ignorance or innocence
- insincereFeigning belief or feeling
two-faced · mendacious · falsifier · fabricator · prevaricator · dissembler · perjurer · fibber
Cleverly deceptive
- craftyCleverly deceptive
- wilySkilled at deception
- guilefulInclined toward deception
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
artful · foxy · shrewd · sneaky · slick · subtle · calculating · scheming
Disloyal and dangerous
- traitorousGuilty of betrayal
- perfidiousDeliberately breaking faith
- disloyalUntrue to commitments
- unfaithfulBetraying a partner's trust
backstabbing · double-crossing · betrayer · traitor · turncoat · Judas · snake · defector
Involving intentional dishonesty
- counterfeitFraudulent imitation
- forgedMade by smithing, or faked
- fakeNot the real thing
- bogusCounterfeit or fraudulent
spurious · sham · phony · inauthentic · ersatz · knockoff · imitation · pseudo
Skilled at controlling others
- exploitativeUnfairly using others' vulnerabilities
- coerciveUsing pressure to compel
- controllingExerting authority over others
- insidiousSubtly destructive over time
Machiavellian · gaslighting · predatory · opportunistic · self-serving · user · con-artist · swindler
Causing false beliefs
- misrepresentingPortraying something inaccurately
- distortingMisshaping or falsifying
- obfuscatingMaking unclear or confusing
- equivocatingSpeaking with deliberate ambiguity
evasive · ambiguous · half-truth · spin · misinformation · propaganda · doublespeak · smokescreen
untruthful
Not speaking facts
- liarOne who speaks falsely
- duplicitousDeliberately deceptive in nature
- disingenuousFeigning ignorance or innocence
insincere · two-faced · mendacious · falsifier · fabricator · prevaricator · dissembler · perjurer · fibber · hypocrite
sly
Cleverly deceptive
cunning · artful · foxy · shrewd · sneaky · slick · subtle · calculating · scheming · conniving
treacherous
Disloyal and dangerous
- traitorousGuilty of betrayal
- perfidiousDeliberately breaking faith
- disloyalUntrue to commitments
unfaithful · backstabbing · double-crossing · betrayer · traitor · turncoat · Judas · snake · defector · renegade
fraudulent
Involving intentional dishonesty
- counterfeitFraudulent imitation
- forgedMade by smithing, or faked
- fakeNot the real thing
bogus · spurious · sham · phony · inauthentic · ersatz · knockoff · imitation · pseudo · falsified
manipulative
Skilled at controlling others
- exploitativeUnfairly using others' vulnerabilities
- coerciveUsing pressure to compel
- controllingExerting authority over others
insidious · Machiavellian · gaslighting · predatory · opportunistic · self-serving · user · con-artist · swindler · grifter
misleading
Causing false beliefs
- misrepresentingPortraying something inaccurately
- distortingMisshaping or falsifying
- obfuscatingMaking unclear or confusing
equivocating · evasive · ambiguous · half-truth · spin · misinformation · propaganda · doublespeak · smokescreen · misdirection
- cunningcunning, craftiness, crafty, guile, slyness
- moral judgmentsgood, evil, wicked, virtuous, moral
- traitshonesty, ambitious, brave, calm, kindness
- reputationreputation, reputable, bad reputation, repute, disreputable
- fakefake, phony, bogus, sham, counterfeit
- falsifiedfalsified, doctored, fabricated, fake, faked
deceitfulhonest
Free from deception
truthful · sincere · candid · frank · forthright
deceitfulstraightforward
Clear and uncomplicated
open · transparent · guileless · candid · plain
- deceitful practicesDeliberately misleading conduct