Meaning & use
deceit
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Meanings
noununcountableformal
Dishonest behavior in which someone hides the truth or tells lies in order to trick other people.
Grammar: Usually uncountable: a life of deceit; the countable form is rare, and deception is more common for single acts.
Patterns
- deceit and something
- through deceit
- be guilty of deceit
The scheme depended on deceit from beginning to end.
She was shocked by his deceit when she found the real accounts.
The company won the contract through deceit rather than honest bidding.
nouncountableliteraryold-fashioned
A particular lie, trick, or false act meant to mislead someone.
Grammar: Countable in this older sense: a deceit; mostly literary now.
Patterns
- practice a deceit
- a deceit of something
The magician's whole act was a clever deceit.
He practiced a small deceit to hide the surprise party.
Behind the friendly smile lay a cruel deceit.
Word forms
| plural | deceits |
|---|
Common combinations
- lies and deceit
- The campaign was built on lies and deceit.
- web of deceit
- He was caught in a web of deceit of his own making.
- stoop to deceit
- She would never stoop to deceit to win a promotion.
- accuse someone of deceit
- The partners accused each other of deceit.
- an act of deceit
- Hiding the damage from the buyers was an act of deceit.
Synonyms and how they differ
- deception
- Deception usually names one particular act of misleading, while deceit describes a habit or the dishonest quality in general.
- dishonesty
- Dishonesty is broader and can include stealing or cheating, whereas deceit specifically involves tricking people with false impressions.
- duplicity
- Duplicity suggests double-dealing, where someone acts one way while secretly acting another.
- trickery
- Trickery is lighter and may be playful, while deceit is serious and morally blameworthy.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: deceit or receipt?
deceit vs receipt
Receipt is a written proof of payment and is spelled with the same ei pattern, but it has no connection to lying; deceit is also spelled -eit, not -iet.
Practice
The politician's career ended after reporters uncovered years of lies and ____.
Choose one answer.
Deceit means dishonest trickery, which pairs naturally with lies. Decency means respectable behavior, the opposite meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “deceit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.