de·ceive
Pronounced:
/dɪˈsi:v/
Function:
verbInflected forms:
de·ceives; de·ceived; de·ceiv·ingMeaning:
: to make (someone) believe something that is not true [+ obj] ▪ Her parents punished her for trying to deceive them. ▪ The wall doesn't look real—it wouldn't deceive [=fool] a child. ▪ He was accused of deceiving the customer about the condition of the car. ▪ People who think they can eat whatever they want without harming their health are deceiving themselves. ▪ Unless my eyes deceive me [=unless I am mistaken about what I am seeing], there are no children in the room. ▪ It's no use deceiving ourselves into thinking [=it will not be helpful if we pretend] that everything will be fine. [no obj] ▪ Remember that appearances can deceive—just because something looks good doesn't mean it is good.
—de·ceiv·er noun plural de·ceiv·ers [count]
—de·ceiv·ing adjective [more de*ceiv*ing; most de*ceiv*ing] ▪ Appearances can be very deceiving. [=deceptive]
—de·ceiv·ing·ly /dɪˈsi:vɪŋli/ adverb ▪ The game is deceivingly [=deceptively] easy.
/dɪˈsi:vɪŋli/ adverb ▪ The game is deceivingly [=deceptively] easy.