Meanings
present singular third person defrauds · participle present defrauding · participle past defrauded · past defrauded · alternative obsolete defraude
- transitiveTo obtain money or property from (a person) by fraud; to swindle.
I had never defrauded a man of a farthing, nor called him knave behind his back. But now the last rag that covered my nakedness had been torn from me. I was branded a blackleg, card-sharper, and murderer.
1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter II, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC - archaicTo deprive.
She is sinned against, because she is defrauded of her rights ^((i.e. sexual satisfaction)).
1872, William Goodell, “On Conjugal Onanism and Kindred Sins”, in Nashville Journal of Medicine and Surgery, volume 9, page 632 more examples
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Corinthians 7:5Both laughed as they shook hands but Miss Tilehurst felt that she had been defrauded of something that she had looked forward to by Nora's offhand manner, and she was glad that Mr. Carrados took the occasion to rebuke his niece […]
1934, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], The Bravo of London
Synonyms & antonyms
verbdeprive of by deceit
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchdefrauder
- Middle Englishdefrauden
- Englishdefraud
From Middle English defrauden, from Old French defrauder, from de- + frauder.
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek φενακίζω
- φενακίζω (phenakízō)to obtain money or property by fraud
Bulgarian измамвам
- измамвам (izmamvam)to obtain money or property by fraud
Catalan estafar, defraudar
- estafarto obtain money or property by fraud
- defraudarto obtain money or property by fraud
Chinese Mandarin 騙取 /骗取, 詐取 /诈取
- 騙取 /骗取 (piànqǔ)to obtain money or property by fraud
- 詐取 /诈取 (zhàqǔ)to obtain money or property by fraud
Czech podvodně připravit, ošidit
- podvodně připravitto obtain money or property by fraud
- ošiditto obtain money or property by fraud
- obratto obtain money or property by fraud
- okrástto obtain money or property by fraud
Esperanto fraŭdi
- fraŭdito obtain money or property by fraud
Finnish huijata
- huijatato obtain money or property by fraud
French escroquer, (fam) arnaquer
- escroquerto obtain money or property by fraud
- (fam) arnaquerto obtain money or property by fraud
German betrügen, erschwindeln
- betrügento obtain money or property by fraud
- erschwindelnto obtain money or property by fraud
Hindi ठगना
- ठगना (ṭhagnā)to obtain money or property by fraud
Italian frodare
- frodareto obtain money or property by fraud
Japanese 騙し取る, 騙取する
- 騙し取る (damashitoru)to obtain money or property by fraud
- 騙取する (henshu suru)to obtain money or property by fraud
- 詐取する (sashu suru)to obtain money or property by fraud
Latin fraudō
- fraudōto obtain money or property by fraud
Portuguese defraudar
- defraudarto obtain money or property by fraud
Romanian frauda, defrauda
- fraudato obtain money or property by fraud
- defraudato obtain money or property by fraud
Russian обма́нывать, обману́ть
- обма́нывать (obmányvatʹ)to obtain money or property by fraud
- обману́ть (obmanútʹ)to obtain money or property by fraud
- моше́нничать (mošénničatʹ)to obtain money or property by fraud
- выма́нивать (vymánivatʹ)to obtain money or property by fraud
- вы́манить (výmanitʹ)to obtain money or property by fraud
Spanish timar, defraudar
- timarto obtain money or property by fraud
- defraudarto obtain money or property by fraud
Swedish bedraga, avlura
- bedragato obtain money or property by fraud
- avlurato obtain money or property by fraud
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with defraud
Cite this entry
defraud. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defraud
“defraud.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defraud. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “defraud,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defraud.
Source: defraud on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.