DECEITFUL Synonyms: 103 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'deceitful' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of deceitful are dishonest , mendacious , and untruthful . While all these words mean "unworthy of trust or belief," deceitful usually implies an intent to mislead and commonly suggests a false appearance or double-dealing. // the secret affairs of a deceitful spouse

Q: When would 'dishonest' be a good substitute for 'deceitful'?

In some situations, the words dishonest and deceitful are roughly equivalent. However, dishonest implies a willful perversion of truth in order to deceive, cheat, or defraud. // a swindle usually involves two dishonest people

Q: Where would 'mendacious' be a reasonable alternative to 'deceitful'?

The meanings of mendacious and deceitful largely overlap; however, mendacious may suggest bland or even harmlessly mischievous deceit and when used of people often suggests a habit of telling untruths. // mendacious tales of adventure

Q: When might 'untruthful' be a better fit than 'deceitful'?

While the synonyms untruthful and deceitful are close in meaning, untruthful stresses a discrepancy between what is said and fact or reality. // an untruthful account of their actions

deceitful

adjective

di-ˈsēt-fəl

Definition of deceitful

as in fraudulent

marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value charged the store owner with such deceitful practices as inflating the list prices for items only so he could put them on sale at drastically reduced prices

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in deceptive

tending or having power to deceive the deceitful salesman neglected to mention some important information about the used car

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How does the adjective deceitful differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of deceitful are dishonest, mendacious, and untruthful. While all these words mean "unworthy of trust or belief," deceitful usually implies an intent to mislead and commonly suggests a false appearance or double-dealing.

the secret affairs of a deceitful spouse

When would dishonest be a good substitute for deceitful?

In some situations, the words dishonest and deceitful are roughly equivalent. However, dishonest implies a willful perversion of truth in order to deceive, cheat, or defraud.

a swindle usually involves two dishonest people

Where would mendacious be a reasonable alternative to deceitful?

The meanings of mendacious and deceitful largely overlap; however, mendacious may suggest bland or even harmlessly mischievous deceit and when used of people often suggests a habit of telling untruths.

mendacious tales of adventure

When might untruthful be a better fit than deceitful?

While the synonyms untruthful and deceitful are close in meaning, untruthful stresses a discrepancy between what is said and fact or reality.

an untruthful account of their actions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of deceitful While Swift hasn’t publicly commented on the reasoning behind her trademark filings, the reputational damage that deceitful deepfakes pose to her billion-dollar brand can hardly be overlooked. — Miles Klee, Wired News, 29 Apr. 2026 In classical Athens the playwright Aristophanes attacked purveyors of knowledge for being intellectually untrustworthy, essentially deceitful. — Clare Bucknell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026 Worse yet, its structure is deceitful. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026 Both the criticism and self-flagellation imply that the act of claiming another person’s words can render these words deceitful, even if the words have been paid for and the content is true. — Emily Hodgson Anderson, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deceitful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceitful

Adjective

Police said Pabst later learned that the pickup documents were fraudulent.

— Saleen Martin, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Washington rejected the legitimacy of the 2018 election that returned Maduro to office and also considered his 2024 reelection fraudulent.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of fraudulent

Adjective

The technology was also tested against deceptive behaviour, an in a different scenario, fishing boats appeared to retreat while vessels from another direction accelerated toward the coastguard ship.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
The siblings are likely to dispute Jeanie’s characterization of their actions as deceptive and clandestine, perhaps by pointing to communications with their sister and her responses.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of deceptive

Adjective

The lawsuit filed by two former employees contains allegations that are false, misleading, and unsupported by credible evidence.

— Devon Henderson, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Zucker provided false and misleading statements to investigators, according to a summary of findings released Wednesday.

— Dan Mangan, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of false

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“Deceitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceitful. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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