Deceive
/dɪˈsiːv/
Definitions
To cause someone to believe something that is not true; to trick or mislead.
/dɪˈsiːv/
To cause someone to believe something that is not true, typically in order to get an advantage.
The magician deceived the audience with a clever illusion.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're playing a game, and someone is trying to fool you so they can win. That's what it means to deceive someone: to trick them into believing something that isn't true to get an advantage.
👶 For kids: To trick someone into believing something that isn't real.
More Examples
She deceived her parents by pretending to go to school.
He tried to deceive the customs officials by hiding the items.
How It's Used
"He tried to deceive his friends by pretending to be rich."
"The company was accused of deceiving investors with false information."
"The witness attempted to deceive the jury during the trial."
Idioms & expressions
Don't deceive yourself
To avoid fooling oneself, to be realistic about a situation.
"Don't deceive yourself into thinking you'll win the lottery without buying a ticket."
From Old French *deceivre*, from Latin *decipere* ('to ensnare, trick'), from *de-* ('down, away') + *capere* ('to take').
The word 'deceive' has been used in English since the 13th century, and its core meaning has remained fairly consistent throughout history, always relating to trickery or falsehood.
Memory tip
Think of the word 'receive.' Deceive is the opposite; instead of getting something good, you're being tricked.
Practice
Word Origin
Root: cipere