deceive
Lead someone astray
To deceive is to cause someone to believe something false—through lies, misleading statements, or strategic omission.
You can deceive others or yourself: She deceived herself into thinking everything was fine.
Appearances deceive when they create false impressions: The calm surface deceived us about the current beneath.
Unlike lying, deception doesn't require explicit false statements—silence or misdirection suffices.
Pretend to have
- dissembleConceal one's motives
- fakeNot the real thing
- shamFraudulent imitation
- bluffCalculated false front
simulate · pretend · affect · masquerade · impersonate · pose · disguise · camouflage
Deceive or victim
Deception for financial gain
- scamDishonest money-making scheme
- defraudObtain through deceit
- cheatAct dishonestly to win
- embezzleSteal funds in custody
grift · phishing · forgery · counterfeit · charlatan · impostor · racket · hustle
Sly, strategic dishonesty
- slynessCunning in manner
- craftinessShrewd, devious cleverness
- wileDeceptive trick or scheme
- duplicityDeliberate misleading behavior
deviousness · chicanery · scheming · manipulation · conniving · artifice · shrewdness · foxiness
One who betrays allegiance
- backstabBetray someone's trust
- treacheryDeliberate violation of trust
- double-crossTreacherous deception of partner
- disloyaltyBreach of allegiance
turncoat · Judas · infidelity · unfaithfulness · defection · sellout · renegade · quisling
Deliberate untrue statement
- untruthA false statement
- fibTrivial, harmless falsehood
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- prevaricationMisleading speech avoiding directness
misrepresentation · perjury · whopper · canard · dishonesty · falsification · distortion · misstatement
feign
Pretend to have
bluff · simulate · pretend · affect · masquerade · impersonate · pose · disguise · camouflage · facade
dupe
Deceive or victim
fool · beguile · delude · gull · con · snow · hoax · ruse · ploy · stratagem
swindle
Deception for financial gain
embezzle · grift · phishing · forgery · counterfeit · charlatan · impostor · racket · hustle · fleece
guile
Sly, strategic dishonesty
- slynessCunning in manner
- craftinessShrewd, devious cleverness
- wileDeceptive trick or scheme
duplicity · deviousness · chicanery · scheming · manipulation · conniving · artifice · shrewdness · foxiness · underhanded
traitor
One who betrays allegiance
- backstabBetray someone's trust
- treacheryDeliberate violation of trust
- double-crossTreacherous deception of partner
disloyalty · turncoat · Judas · infidelity · unfaithfulness · defection · sellout · renegade · quisling · perfidy
falsehood
Deliberate untrue statement
- untruthA false statement
- fibTrivial, harmless falsehood
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
prevarication · misrepresentation · perjury · whopper · canard · dishonesty · falsification · distortion · misstatement · invention
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- trickerytrick, mislead, hoax, ruse, con
- fraudscam, fraud, swindle, con, cheat
- dirty tacticsdirty trick, dirty tricks, dirty pool, foul play, cheap shot
- mind gamesmind game, head game, head games, mind games, intimidation
- betrayalbackstab, betray, betrayal, traitor, backstabber
deceivetell the truth
Communicate facts honestly
be honest · inform · enlighten · advise · level with
deceiveundeceive
Correct a false belief
disabuse · disillusion · set straight · open someone's eyes · expose
- deceitful practicesDeliberately misleading conduct
- romantic deceitLying within courtship
deceit, deceived, deceitful, deceiving, deceiver, deceives, undeceive, deceitfulness, deceivers