deceive
gb/dɪsˈiv/ us/dɪsˈiv/
B2
English
~ 4700
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
Make someone believe a lie
To make someone think something that is not true.
Usage pattern:
to deceive [someone]
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.
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.)
Collocations
deceive the public
|deceive customers
|deceive oneself
|deceive into believing
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|crime
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company deceived its customers about the quality of the product.
- She deceived her parents into thinking she was studying.
- 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.
- The ad deceived people about the phone's battery life.
- She deceived him into thinking she liked him.
- They deceived the public with fake news.
Verb
B2
action
2
Fool oneself about reality
To make yourself believe something that is not true.
Usage pattern:
to 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.)
Collocations
deceive oneself into thinking
|cannot deceive oneself
Themes
emotions
|self-awareness
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He deceived himself into believing she loved him.
- We must not deceive ourselves about how hard this will be.
- She deceived herself into thinking she could manage alone.
Learner examples
- He deceived himself about his chances.
- Do not deceive yourself. This is hard work.
- She deceived herself into thinking they were friends.
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.