dishonest

adjective

(ˌ)dis-ˈä-nəst How to pronounce dishonest (audio)
Definition of dishonestnext
1
as in misleading
telling or containing lies I think he is being dishonest about how much he knows dishonest statements on the claims form

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fraudulent
given to or marked by cheating and deception dishonest car dealers who roll back mileage gauges dishonest business deals that landed him in jail

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in false
marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value dishonest appraisals of art works that were part of an elaborate scheme to defraud insurance companies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the adjective dishonest differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of dishonest are deceitful, mendacious, and untruthful. While all these words mean "unworthy of trust or belief," dishonest implies a willful perversion of truth in order to deceive, cheat, or defraud.

a swindle usually involves two dishonest people

When is deceitful a more appropriate choice than dishonest?

While the synonyms deceitful and dishonest are close in meaning, deceitful usually implies an intent to mislead and commonly suggests a false appearance or double-dealing.

the secret affairs of a deceitful spouse

When might mendacious be a better fit than dishonest?

The words mendacious and dishonest are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 could untruthful be used to replace dishonest?

The words untruthful and dishonest can be used in similar contexts, but 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 dishonest Like the president, Vance describes Democrats as dishonest, pandering, and often stupid. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Denigrating the relationship—deciding, for instance, that the rejecter was evil, dishonest, unworthy of your respect or time— devalues your own history, in effect consigning the whole relationship to the trash bin. — George Loewenstein, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026 Only someone very comfortable, or very dishonest, would pretend the fantasy has no appeal. — Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026 That is what makes conversations like this sound dishonest and contrived. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dishonest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dishonest
  1. misleading
  2. fraudulent
  3. false
  4. erroneous
  5. deceptive
  6. mendacious
  7. crooked
  8. untruthful
Adjective
  • Meta argued the state failed to prove misleading statements about privacy and that content moderation actually harmed New Mexicans.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Meta argued that New Mexico failed to prove that the tech giant's executives made misleading statements about privacy and that its content moderation practices harmed state residents.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of misleading
Adjective
  • Philadelphia police are also working with GoFundMe to prevent fraudulent fundraisers, the department said in a post on Facebook.
    — Laura Fay, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Dispute fraudulent charges and accounts, follow up on your identity theft report and request that fraudulent information be removed from your credit reports.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of fraudulent
Adjective
  • Experts worry federal law enforcement could potentially use those false claims — or others generated this year — as pretext to try to seize ballots during the counting period, or interfere in the process in some other way.
    — Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The false polling data from Wedgewood Polls consistently favored Democrats, particularly progressive candidates.
    — Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of false
Adjective
  • Bisignano, a former Wall Street CEO who has been overhauling how the agency operates, also said SSA was working to fix erroneous records.
    — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • In his own review of the case, Mandell failed to flag an erroneous jury instruction that four years later would lead to the conviction being overturned.
    — Samantha Melamed, ProPublica, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of erroneous
Adjective
  • But several Theranos staffers and journalists say Holmes was frequently deceptive and would lie repeatedly, especially when confronted with facts.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • California and Hawaii, for example, are two states that have banned sharing deceptive AI content about candidates in the months around an election.
    — Jordi Calvet-Bademunt, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of deceptive
Adjective
  • The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Supporters of recent state AI regulations said the measures will address potential threats to public safety and personal privacy, and to counter any mendacious actions created by AI, while not hindering innovation.
    — Hope Moses, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2026
Definition of mendacious
Adjective
  • Others convicted in relation to the robbery included Brian Reader, a career criminal who was involved in other high-profile robberies before and after Brink’s-Mat, crooked solicitor Michael Relton, and McAvoy’s wife, Kathleen.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
  • For now, the crooked finger stays, and so does the jumper that comes with it.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of crooked
Adjective
  • Those commitments can be withdrawn if Saab is untruthful with investigators or probation officials, commits another crime or otherwise violates the agreement.
    — Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026
  • However, subsequent video evidence led officials to claim that the officers involved had likely made untruthful statements about what happened.
    — Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of untruthful

Browse Nearby Words

dishing out
dishonest
dishonestly
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Cite this Entry

“Dishonest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dishonest. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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