deceitful

adjective

de·​ceit·​ful di-ˈsēt-fəl 

: having a tendency or disposition to deceive or give false impressions:

a

: not honest

a deceitful person

b

: deceptive, misleading

deceitful advertising

deceitfully

di-ˈsēt-fə-lē 

adverb

deceitfulness noun

Synonyms

• crooked
• defrauding
• dishonest
• double-dealing
• false
• fraudulent

Choose the Right Synonym for deceitful

dishonest, deceitful, mendacious, untruthful mean unworthy of trust or belief.

dishonest implies a willful perversion of truth in order to deceive, cheat, or defraud.

a swindle usually involves two dishonest people

deceitful usually implies an intent to mislead and commonly suggests a false appearance or double-dealing.

the secret affairs of a deceitful spouse

mendacious may suggest bland or even harmlessly mischievous deceit and when used of people often suggests a habit of telling untruths.

mendacious tales of adventure

untruthful stresses a discrepancy between what is said and fact or reality.

an untruthful account of their actions

Examples of deceitful in a Sentence

charged the store owner with such deceitful practices as inflating the list prices for items only so he could put them on sale at drastically reduced prices

the deceitful salesman neglected to mention some important information about the used car

Recent Examples on the Web

Holeman said Allen showed signs of being deceitful during a 2022 interview, such as looking down and touching his face. —John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 26 Oct. 2024

Lawmakers should first fix the current deceitful ballot and campaign practices of local agencies and businesses that financially benefit from passage of bond measures. —Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, The Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2024

On Sunday, the show released the following statement in response to the Republican presidential candidate: Former President Donald Trump is accusing 60 Minutes of deceitful editing of our Oct. 7 interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. —Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019

Most of her internal conflict centers on whether potential ends justify her deceitful means. —Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see deceit

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

deceitful

adjective

de·​ceit·​ful di-ˈsēt-fəl 

1

: practicing or tending to practice trickery

2

: showing or containing deceit or fraud : deceptive

a deceitful answer

deceitfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

deceitfulness

-fəl-nəs

noun