dishonest

dishonest — adjective

1. A person who is dishonest says things that are not true or behaves in a way mean

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

A person who is dishonest says things that are not true or behaves in a way meant to cheat or trick other people — for example, lying about the price of a product or secretly taking money that belongs to someone else.

Example

Tanvi was fired after her boss discovered her dishonest business practices.

attributive: dishonest + noun (business practices)

It is dishonest of me to say I liked a film I actually hated.

pattern: it is dishonest of [person] to [verb]

Common collocations
  • dishonest person / politician / employee
  • dishonest behavior / conduct / practice
  • dishonest statement / claim / answer
  • dishonest methods / means
  • dishonest dealings / transactions
  • dishonest advertising / marketing
  • dishonest about [something]
  • dishonest with [someone]
Synonyms
  • deceitful

    Emphasises a habitual or clever way of hiding the truth, often through small lies or misleading actions

  • untruthful

    Focuses specifically on spoken lies; slightly softer and less accusatory than dishonest

  • fraudulent

    More formal and serious; describes illegal deception involving money or documents

  • corrupt

    Implies misuse of power or position for personal gain, usually in politics or business

Antonyms
  • honest

    The direct opposite; truthful and fair in words and actions

  • truthful

    Specifically about telling the truth in what one says

  • trustworthy

    Describes someone reliable who can be counted on to be honest

Grammar Patterns

it is dishonest of [person] to [verb]

dishonest + noun (attributive)

be dishonest (predicative)

Usage Note

Frequently used with nouns describing speech or business conduct (statement, claim, practice, method, advertising). The construction 'it is dishonest of [person] to [verb]' is common for criticizing a specific action.

Common Mistakes

He was dishonest from me.
He was dishonest with me.
Use 'with' (not 'from') when naming the person who was deceived.
The dishonest of the politician shocked voters.
The politician's dishonesty shocked voters.
'dishonest' is an adjective; use the noun 'dishonesty' as a subject.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All of these words describe a lack of honesty, but they differ in scope and seriousness. Dishonest is the broadest and most neutral term — it covers any lie or deception. Deceitful adds the idea of deliberate, often clever trickery; a deceitful person may smile while hiding bad intentions. Untruthful is narrower, focusing on spoken lies rather than actions — an untruthful witness gives false testimony. Fraudulent is more formal and legal, describing deception that breaks the law, especially involving money or documents — a fraudulent tax return can lead to prosecution. Corrupt applies specifically to people in positions of power who abuse their authority for personal gain, such as a corrupt official who accepts bribes. For everyday situations, dishonest is usually the best choice; use fraudulent or corrupt when the behaviour involves formal wrongdoing.

deceitfuluntruthful ↗fraudulent ↗corrupt ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • by dishonest means
  • dishonest to the core

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchLatinEnglish

Formed in English from the prefix dis- (meaning 'not') and the adjective honest. Honest entered English from Old French honeste, which came from Latin honestus meaning 'honourable, respected'. The combined form dishonest has been used since the late 1500s to describe people or actions that lack truthfulness or fairness.