deception

D2E1C3E1P3T1I1O1N1
UK/dɪˈsɛpʃən/

noun

An instance of actions and/or schemes fabricated to mislead someone into believing a lie or inaccuracy.

“pure deception”

Less commonScrabble 14

Meanings

noundeception (countable and uncountable, plural deceptions)

plural deceptions

  1. countableuncountableAn instance of actions and/or schemes fabricated to mislead someone into believing a lie or inaccuracy.

    pure deception

    5 more examples

    deliberate deception

    She got the money out of the tourist by deception.

    The Priest also places a moral barrier between himself and his tale by establishing himself as an "unreliable narrator" capable of deception and irony. Thus, through his habit of speaking equivocally, he can disavow responsibility for his frequently provocative words.

    1969 September, Charles A. Watkins, “Chaucer’s Sweete Preest”, in Earl R. Wasserman et al., editors, ELH [English Literary History], volume 36, number 3, Baltimore, Md.: The Johns Hopkins Press, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 463

    Reports related to Trump’s second impeachment very well reflect the Trumpology of the last four years – lie as much as you find tolerable (and the tolerance levels have been moved out extensively), and cover the truth with more lies and deception.[…]Lies, deceit and corruption – the core of Trumpology.

    2021 February 11, Greg Hegman, “Same old Trump”, in Times-News, Twin Falls, Ida., page A9

    The movie delivers a critical and analytical 'unfolding of the circumstances of Reality [Winner]’s life, starting with her childhood in Texas, in order to reveal her sense of deceptions and injustices that pass largely unchallenged in everyday American life.

    2024 September 11, Richard Brody, ““Winner” Takes Political Comedy Seriously”, in The New Yorker

    Synonyms: imposition, hype, deceit, dupery, fiddle, fetch, hocus-pocus, jugglery

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn instance of actions and/or schemes fabricated to mislead someone into believing a lie or inaccuracy.

More synonyms by meaning

nouna misleading falsehood

nounan illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latindēcipiō“to deceive”
  2. Old Frenchdecepcion
  3. Middle Englishdecepcioun
  4. Englishdeception

From Middle English decepcioun, from Old French decepcion, from Latin dēcipiō (“to deceive”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic خِدَاع, خَدْع
  • خِدَاع (ḵidāʕ)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • خَدْع (ḵadʕ)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
Bengali প্রবঞ্চনা
  • প্রবঞ্চনা (proboncona)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
Bulgarian изма́ма, лъжа́
  • изма́ма (izmáma)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • лъжа́ (lăžá)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • заблужде́ние (zabluždénie)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
Catalan engany
  • enganyinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Chinese Mandarin 騙局 /骗局, 欺騙 /欺骗
  • 騙局 /骗局 (piànjú)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • 欺騙 /欺骗 (qīpiàn)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • 欺詐 /欺诈 (qīzhà)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
Czech podvod, klam
  • podvodinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • klaminstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • balamuceníinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Danish bedrag
  • bedraginstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Dutch bedrog, bedriegerij
  • bedroginstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • bedriegerijinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • misleidinginstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Esperanto trompo
  • trompoinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Estonian pettus
  • pettusinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Finnish petos
  • petosinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
French supercherie, tromperie
  • supercherieinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • tromperieinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
German Betrug, Betrügerei
  • Betruginstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • Betrügereiinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • Täuschunginstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Greek απάτη
  • απάτη (apáti)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
Hebrew אֲחִיזַת עֵינַיִם, מִרְמָה
  • אֲחִיזַת עֵינַיִם (aḥizát 'ēnáim)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • מִרְמָה (mirma)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
Hindi धोखा, छल
  • धोखा (dhokhā)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • छल (chal)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • झाँसा (jhā̃sā)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
Hungarian megtévesztés
  • megtévesztésinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Icelandic blekking
  • blekkinginstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Irish bréag
  • bréaginstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Italian mistificazione, inganno
  • mistificazioneinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • ingannoinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • sotterfugioinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • raggiroinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • frodeinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Japanese ごまかし, いんちき
  • ごまかし (gomakashi)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • いんちき (inchiki)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • 欺瞞 (giman)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • 欺騙 (gihen)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
Korean 기만, 속임
  • 기만 (giman)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • 속임 (sogim)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • 사기 (sagi)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
Latin captiō, dolus
  • captiōinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • dolusinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Latvian maldināšana
  • maldināšanainstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Lithuanian apgavystė
  • apgavystėinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Malay penipuan
  • penipuaninstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Norwegian Bokmål bedrag
  • bedraginstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Persian فریب
  • فریب (farib)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
Polish oszustwo, bałamuctwo
  • oszustwoinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • bałamuctwoinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Portuguese enganação, engano
  • enganaçãoinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • enganoinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • logroinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Romanian decepție, amăgire
  • decepțieinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • amăgireinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Russian обма́н, ложь
  • обма́н (obmán)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • ложь (ložʹ)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • заблужде́ние (zabluždénije)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
Slovak podvod
  • podvodinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Spanish engaño, socaliña
  • engañoinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • socaliñainstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • decebimientoinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • engañiflainstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • engañifainstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Swedish bedrägeri
  • bedrägeriinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Thai การหลอกลวง
  • การหลอกลวงinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Turkish kandırma, yanıltma
  • kandırmainstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • yanıltmainstance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • aldatmainstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Ukrainian обма́н
  • обма́н (obmán)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
Urdu دھوکا, فریب
  • دھوکا (dhokhā)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
  • فریب (farīb)instance of actions fabricated to mislead
Vietnamese sự lừa dối
  • sự lừa dốiinstance of actions fabricated to mislead
Cite this entry
APA

deception. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deception

MLA

“deception.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deception. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “deception,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deception.

Source: deception on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.