deceit

deceit — noun

1. behaviour in which you intentionally hide the real situation or change the facts

1.nounB2
Definition

behaviour in which you intentionally hide the real situation or change the facts so that another person believes something false, usually in order to gain an advantage for yourself.

Example

The politician was accused of deceit when he lied about the new tax plan.

accused of deceit — common passive pattern with 'of'

Tara could not forgive her business partner for the years of deceit.

forgive [sb] for deceit — preposition 'for' after verb

Common collocations
  • deliberate deceit
  • political deceit
  • a web of deceit
  • a pattern of deceit
  • deceit and lies
Synonyms
  • deception

    Broader term that covers both the act and the result of deceiving; 'deceit' often emphasises the moral quality more strongly.

  • fraud

    Stronger, legally specific term for criminal dishonesty involving money or property; 'deceit' is broader and not always illegal.

  • dishonesty

    Wider in scope, covering any lack of truthfulness including small everyday lies; 'deceit' implies more deliberate planning.

  • trickery

    Slightly more informal; emphasises clever or playful deception rather than serious moral failure.

Antonyms
  • honesty

    Direct opposite — behaviour based on truth and sincerity.

  • truthfulness

    The quality of always telling the truth; 'deceit' is the deliberate absence of this.

  • sincerity

    Focuses on genuine feelings and intentions, contrasted with deceit's calculated falsehood.

Grammar Patterns

deceit + of + noun phrase

by deceit

through deceit

Usage Note

More formal than 'lying' or 'cheating'. Often uncountable (a web of deceit), but can be countable when referring to a specific dishonest act (a series of deceits).

Common Mistakes

She told a deceit.
She told a lie.
'deceit' refers to the behaviour or quality of dishonesty, not a single false statement; use 'lie' for one false claim.
He deceived me with deceit.
He deceived me.' or 'He used deceit.
'deceive' already contains the meaning of deceit; using both together is redundant.

Word family

  • deceitful
    adjectiveB2
  • deceitfully
    adverbC1
  • deceive
    verbB2
  • deception
    nounB2
  • deceptive
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words relate to causing someone to believe something false, but they differ in scope and seriousness. 'Deception' is the broadest neutral term for any act that misleads — it covers everything from a harmless surprise party to a criminal scheme. 'Deceit' adds a stronger moral judgment: it implies a calculated, blameworthy intention to mislead for personal gain. 'Fraud' is the narrowest and most legal of the set — it refers specifically to deception carried out for financial or material benefit and is a criminal offence. 'Dishonesty' is the widest term, covering any lack of truthfulness including small everyday lies, and does not always carry the sense of a planned scheme. 'Trickery' sits at the informal end and sometimes retains a playful or skilful tone (e.g. 'the magician's trickery') that 'deceit' never has. In practice, use 'deceit' when you want to emphasise the moral failure of deliberate misleading, especially in relationships or politics.

deception ↗fraud ↗dishonesty ↗trickery

Common collocations

Nouns

  • act of deceit
  • pattern of deceit
  • web of deceit

Phrases

  • by deceit
  • through deceit
  • a string of deceits

Prepositions

  • deceit in
  • deceit by

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Deceit entered English in the 1200s from Old French 'deceite', which developed from Latin 'decipere' meaning 'to catch, ensnare, deceive'. The Latin parts are 'de-' ('from, away') and 'capere' ('to take'), so the original image was of 'taking someone by trickery' — catching them off guard. This idea of deliberate entrapment through falsehood is still at the heart of the modern meaning.