deceitfulness
Tendency toward lying
Deceitfulness is the quality of being disposed to deceive—a tendency toward dishonesty and misleading others.
Where a single lie might be circumstantial, deceitfulness suggests a pattern or character trait: The deceitfulness of the scheme only became clear after investors lost everything.
The word implies not just falsehood but deliberate manipulation.
Deceitful pretense of friendship
- sanctimonyFeigned moral superiority
- cantSanctimonious insincerity
- pretenseDeceptive outward show
- insincerityLack of genuine feeling
dissembling · double-dealing · lip-service · facade · phoniness · affectation · posturing · feigning
Sly, strategic dishonesty
- slynessCunning in manner
- artificeClever deceptive strategy
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
- craftinessShrewd, devious cleverness
wiliness · chicanery · foxiness · shrewdness · slickness · wiles · duplicity · subterfuge
Stating known falsehoods
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- falsehoodDeliberate untrue statement
- untruthfulnessDisposition toward false statements
- falsityState of being incorrect
misrepresentation · fabrication · disinformation · prevarication · fibbing · misstatement · cheating · forgery
Deliberate violation of trust
- backstabbingCovert betrayal of trust
- double-crossTreacherous deception of partner
- perfidyDeliberate breach of trust
- disloyaltyBreach of allegiance
infidelity · treason · sedition · defection · turncoat · Judas · renegade · sellout
Pressured compliance through threats
- exploitationSelfish use of others
- gaslightingManipulation causing self-doubt
- puppeteeringAnimating figures by hand
- brainwashingCoercive psychological manipulation
conning · grooming · hoodwinking · beguiling · duping · bamboozling · swindling · fleecing
two-facedness
Deceitful pretense of friendship
- sanctimonyFeigned moral superiority
- cantSanctimonious insincerity
- pretenseDeceptive outward show
insincerity · dissembling · double-dealing · lip-service · facade · phoniness · affectation · posturing · feigning · masquerade
guile
Sly, strategic dishonesty
craftiness · wiliness · chicanery · foxiness · shrewdness · slickness · wiles · duplicity · subterfuge · conniving
lying
Stating known falsehoods
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- falsehoodDeliberate untrue statement
- untruthfulnessDisposition toward false statements
falsity · misrepresentation · fabrication · disinformation · prevarication · fibbing · misstatement · cheating · forgery · counterfeit
treachery
Deliberate violation of trust
- backstabbingCovert betrayal of trust
- double-crossTreacherous deception of partner
- perfidyDeliberate breach of trust
disloyalty · infidelity · treason · sedition · defection · turncoat · Judas · renegade · sellout · unfaithfulness
coercion
Pressured compliance through threats
- exploitationSelfish use of others
- gaslightingManipulation causing self-doubt
- puppeteeringAnimating figures by hand
brainwashing · conning · grooming · hoodwinking · beguiling · duping · bamboozling · swindling · fleecing · hustling
- behavior problemsaggression, defiance, tantrums, bullying, hitting
- psychopathypsychopathy, sociopathy, lack of empathy, superficial charm, pathological lying
- bad attitudesnegativity, cynicism, pessimism, hostility, contempt
- flawsfaults, defect, flaw, blemish, flaws
- personality disordersborderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, OCPD, personality disorders
deceitfulnesshonesty
Truthfulness, sincerity
truthfulness · sincerity · frankness · forthrightness · candor
deceitfulnessintegrity
Moral soundness and consistency
trustworthiness · probity · uprightness · righteousness · incorruptibility
deceitfulnessguilelessness
Absence of cunning
artlessness · ingenuousness · innocence · naivety · simplicity
deception, deceive, deceit, deceptive, deceived, deceitful, deceiving, deceiver, deceptively