Deceitful — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /di-ˈsēt-fəl/ de·ceit·ful

Meaning & Definition of Deceitful

Deceitful (adjective)

  1. having a tendency or disposition to deceive or give false impressions:
  2. not honest
  3. deceptive, misleading

Deceitful (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value

    "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"

    similar: crooked, defrauding, dishonest, double-dealing, false, fraudulent
    related: beguiling, deceiving, deceptive, deluding, delusive, delusory, duplicitous, fallacious, misleading, specious, spurious
    opposite: aboveboard, honest, truthful
    near: legitimate, true, valid

  2. tending or having power to deceive

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

    similar: beguiling, deceiving, deceptive, deluding, delusive, delusory, fallacious, false, misleading, specious
    related: artful, crafty, cunning, devious, foxy, guileful, shady, shifty, slick, sly, sneaking, sneaky, subtile, subtle, trick, trickish, tricky, underhand, underhanded, wily, inaccurate, incorrect, wrong, bewildering, confounding, distracting, perplexing, puzzling, ambidextrous, crooked, defrauding, dishonest, dissembling, double-dealing, duplicitous, faithless, fast, fraudulent, knavish, lying, mendacious, untrustworthy, untruthful, bogus, counterfeit, fake, feigned, forged, jive (slang), phony, sham, spurious, insidious, perfidious, treacherous, ambiguous, circuitous, equivocal, evasive, artificial, backhanded, hypocritical, insincere, left-handed, two-faced
    opposite: aboveboard, forthright, nondeceptive, straightforward
    near: candid, direct, foursquare, frank, free-spoken, open, openhearted, outspoken, plain, plainspoken, straight, clarifying, elucidative, explanatory, illuminating, revealing, revelatory, honest, trustworthy, truthful

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Deceitful

The most common words with a similar meaning to Deceitful:

crooked, defrauding, dishonest, double-dealing, false, fraudulent, beguiling, deceiving, deceptive, deluding, delusive, delusory, fallacious, misleading, specious

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Deceitful

Words with the opposite meaning of Deceitful:

aboveboard, honest, truthful, forthright, nondeceptive, straightforward

Related Words for Deceitful

duplicitous, spurious, artful, crafty, cunning, devious, foxy, guileful, shady, shifty, slick, sly, sneaking, sneaky, subtile, subtle, trick, trickish, tricky, underhand, underhanded, wily, inaccurate, incorrect, wrong, bewildering, confounding, distracting, perplexing, puzzling

Near Antonyms of Deceitful

legitimate, true, valid, candid, direct, foursquare, frank, free-spoken, open, openhearted, outspoken, plain, plainspoken, straight, clarifying, elucidative, explanatory, illuminating, revealing, revelatory, trustworthy

Word Forms of Deceitful

Derived words: deceitfully (adverb), deceitfulness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Deceitful

First known use: 15th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Deceitful

What does "Deceitful" mean?

"Deceitful" means having a tendency or disposition to deceive or give false impressions:. As an adjective, it is defined as: having a tendency or disposition to deceive or give false impressions:. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Deceitful"?

Other words for "Deceitful" include crooked, defrauding, dishonest, double-dealing, false, fraudulent, beguiling and deceiving. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Deceitful" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Deceitful"?

There are 75 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Deceitful". Common alternatives include crooked, defrauding, dishonest, double-dealing, false, fraudulent, beguiling, deceiving, deceptive and deluding.

What is the opposite of "Deceitful"?

Antonyms of "Deceitful" include aboveboard, honest, truthful, forthright, nondeceptive and straightforward. Near antonyms include legitimate, true, valid and candid.

How do you use "Deceitful" in a sentence?

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".

Is "Deceitful" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Deceitful" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Deceitful"?

"Deceitful" is pronounced /di-ˈsēt-fəl/ and divided into syllables as de·ceit·ful.

What is the origin of the word "Deceitful"?

First known use: 15th century.