deceive
gb/dɪsˈiv/ us/dɪsˈiv/
B2
English
~ 4700
megtéveszt, becsap, elhitet, áltatja magát, becsapja magát
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
to deceive [someone]
The company deceived its customers about the quality of the product.
A vállalat megtévesztette az ügyfeleit a termék minőségével kapcsolatban.
She deceived her parents into thinking she was studying.
Elhitette a szüleivel, hogy tanul.
He was deceived by the scammer's friendly manner.
They tried to deceive the public with false reports.
Learner examples
He deceived his friend about the price.
Becsapta a barátját az árral kapcsolatban.
The ad deceived people about the phone's battery life.
A hirdetés megtévesztette az embereket a telefon akkumulátorának üzemidejével kapcsolatban.
She deceived him into thinking she liked him.
They deceived the public with fake news.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'deceive' with 'cheat'. 'Cheat' often means to break rules to get an advantage, while 'deceive' is more general and means to make someone believe something false.
Meaning
Make someone believe a lie
Collocations
deceive the public
|deceive customers
|deceive oneself
|deceive into believing
Synonyms
mislead (Suggests causing someone to have a wrong idea or impression, often less direct than 'deceive'.)
|
trick (Implies using a clever or dishonest method to achieve the deception.)
Antonyms
inform (Means to give true facts so someone understands correctly.)
|
enlighten (Means to give knowledge or insight, removing misunderstanding.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|crime
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make someone think something that is not true.
To cause someone to believe something that is not true, usually in order to gain some personal advantage.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
to deceive oneself
He deceived himself into believing she loved him.
Azzal áltatta magát, hogy a lány szereti őt.
We must not deceive ourselves about how hard this will be.
Nem áltathatjuk magunkat azzal kapcsolatban, hogy ez milyen nehéz lesz.
She deceived herself into thinking she could manage alone.
Learner examples
He deceived himself about his chances.
Becsapta magát az esélyeivel kapcsolatban.
Do not deceive yourself. This is hard work.
Ne áltasd magad. Ez kemény munka.
She deceived herself into thinking they were friends.
Meaning
Fool oneself about reality
Collocations
deceive oneself into thinking
|cannot deceive oneself
Synonyms
delude (Implies holding a false belief, often for comfort or self-protection.)
|
fool oneself (Informal way of saying to deceive oneself.)
Antonyms
face reality (Means to accept the truth as it is.)
Themes
emotions
|self-awareness
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make yourself believe something that is not true.
To cause oneself to believe something that is not true, often because the truth is unpleasant or unwanted.
Grammar
Dictionary form
deceive
IPA
GB/dɪsˈiv/
US/dɪsˈiv/
Syllables & stress
de - ceive (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ceive)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: deceive
- 3rd Person Singular: deceives
- Present Participle: deceiving
- Past: deceived
Word family
Expressions
be deceived into doing something
1/bˈi dɪsˈivd ˈɪntu dˈuɪŋ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Tricked into taking an action
To be made to do something because you believed something that was not true.
Examples
- She was deceived into signing the contract.
- They were deceived into paying more than they should.
deceive oneself
1/dɪsˈiv wˌʌnsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
Believe something untrue about yourself or situation
To make yourself believe something that is not true.
Examples
- He deceives himself if he thinks he can win easily.
- Don't deceive yourself into thinking this will be simple.