Meaning & use

deceit

noun·Academic

The act of deliberately making someone believe something false, or a general tendency toward dishonesty.

See it in a sentence

Years of deceit finally caught up with him when the truth came out.

The plot hinges on a web of deceit involving several members of the family.

A note on using this word

Deceit describes the general quality or pattern of dishonesty, while a deception is usually one specific act of deceiving someone.

Words with a similar meaning

dishonestydeceptiontrickery

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

honesty

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “deceit”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.