Dishonesty
dɪsˈɒnɪsti
Definitions
Lack of honesty; deceitfulness; untrustworthiness.
dɪsˈɒnɪsti
The quality or state of being dishonest.
The company was accused of dishonesty in its advertising campaigns.
💡 Simply: Dishonesty is when you're not being truthful or fair. It's like when you tell a little fib, cheat on a game, or try to hide something you did wrong.
👶 For kids: When someone is not telling the truth or is being tricky.
More Examples
Her dishonesty caused a major breach of trust with her friends.
The investigation uncovered widespread dishonesty within the government.
How It's Used
"The evidence presented showed a pattern of dishonesty in the financial records."
"Critics argue that dishonesty undermines the foundations of trust in society."
"Accusations of dishonesty plagued the politician's campaign."
Idioms & expressions
a web of lies
A complex and intricate series of lies that are hard to unravel.
"He got caught in a web of lies when his alibi fell apart during the trial."
playing dirty
Engaging in unfair or unethical tactics to achieve a goal.
"In the competition, they accused their rivals of playing dirty to win."
From Middle English *dishoneste*, from Old French *deshoneste* (dishonest), from *des-* (dis-) + *honeste* (honest).
The word has been used since the 14th century and has consistently referred to a lack of truthfulness and integrity.
Memory tip
Think of someone covering their tracks with a *dish* to hide their *honesty*. It's the opposite of being straightforward.