deceive Meaning, Definition & Usage

De*ceive" transitive verb

Etymology

OE. deceveir, F. décevoir, fr. L. decipere to catch, insnare, deceive; de- + capere to take, catch. See Capable, and cf. Deceit, Deception.

Wordforms

imperfect & past participle Deceived ; present participle & verbal noun Deceiving

Definitions

1. To lead into error; to cause to believe what is false, or disbelieve what is true; to impose upon; to mislead; to cheat; to disappoint; to delude; to insnare.

   Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 2 Tim. iii. 13.

   Nimble jugglers that deceive the eye. Shak.

   What can 'scape the eye Of God all-seeing, or deceive his heart? Milton.

2. To beguile; to amuse, so as to divert the attention; to while away; to take away as if by deception.

   These occupations oftentimes deceived The listless hour. Wordsworth.

3. To deprive by fraud or stealth; to defraud. Obs.

   Plant fruit trees in large borders, and set therein fine flowers, but thin and sparingly, lest they deceive the trees. Bacon.

   Syn. -- Deceive, Delude, Mislead. Deceive is a general word applicable to any kind of misrepresentation affecting faith or life. To delude, primarily, is to make sport of, by deceiving, and is accomplished by playing upon one's imagination or credulity, as by exciting false hopes, causing him to undertake or expect what is impracticable, and making his failure ridiculous. It implies some infirmity of judgment in the victim, and intention to deceive in the deluder. But it is often used reflexively, indicating that a person's own weakness has made him the sport of others or of fortune; as, he deluded himself with a belief that luck would always favor him. To mislead is to lead, guide, or direct in a wrong way, either willfully or ignorantly.