deceive

  • 1Deceive — De*ceive , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Deceived}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Deceiving}.] [OE. deceveir, F. d[ e]cevoir, fr. L. decipere to catch, insnare, deceive; de + capere to take, catch. See {Capable}, and cf. {Deceit}, {Deception}.] 1. To lead into error;… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2deceive — de‧ceive [dɪˈsiːv] verb [transitive] to make someone believe something that is not true in order to get what you want: • Postal officials have long deceived the public on how slow mail delivery really is. deceive somebody into something •… …

    Financial and business terms

  • 3deceive — de·ceive vb de·ceived, de·ceiv·ing vt: to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid vi: to practice deceit compare defraud, mislead Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster …

    Law dictionary

  • 4deceive — [dē sēv′, disēv′] vt. deceived, deceiving [ME deceiven < OFr deceveir < L decipere, to ensnare, deceive < de , from + capere, to take: see HAVE] 1. to make (a person) believe what is not true; delude; mislead 2. Archaic to be false to;… …

    English World dictionary

  • 5deceive — c.1300, from O.Fr. decevoir (12c., Mod.Fr. décevoir) to deceive, from L. decipere to ensnare, take in, beguile, cheat, from de from or pejorative + capere to take (see CAPABLE (Cf. capable)). Related: Deceived; deceiver; deceiving …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 6deceive — deceive, mislead, delude, beguile, betray, double crossmean to lead astray or into evil or to frustrate by under handedness or craft. A person or thing deceives one by leading one to take something false as true, something nonexistent as real,… …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 7deceive — [v] mislead; be dishonest bamboozle*, beat, beat out of, beguile, betray, bilk, buffalo*, burn, cheat, circumvent, clip, con, cozen, cross up, defraud, delude, disappoint, double cross, dupe, ensnare, entrap, fake, falsify, fleece, fool, gouge,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 8deceive — ► VERB 1) deliberately mislead into believing something false. 2) (of a thing) give a mistaken impression. DERIVATIVES deceiver noun. ORIGIN Old French deceivre, from Latin decipere ensnare, cheat …

    English terms dictionary

  • 9deceive — de|ceive [dıˈsi:v] v [T] [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: deceivre, from Latin decipere] 1.) to make someone believe something that is not true = ↑trick →↑deception ▪ He had been deceived by a young man claiming to be the son of a… …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 10deceive */ — UK [dɪˈsiːv] / US [dɪˈsɪv] verb [transitive] Word forms deceive : present tense I/you/we/they deceive he/she/it deceives present participle deceiving past tense deceived past participle deceived Metaphor: Deceiving someone is like sending or… …

    English dictionary