deceitful meaning

deceitful means 'not honest or trying to trick people'.

deceitful :

dishonest, tricky

adjective

▪ The deceitful man lied to his friends.

▪ The dishonest man lied to his friends.

▪ Her deceitful actions hurt many people.

▪ Her tricky actions hurt many people.

paraphrasing

▪ dishonest – not truthful

▪ misleading – giving the wrong idea

▪ insincere – not genuine

▪ untrustworthy – not reliable

deceitful

Pronunciation

deceitful [dɪˈsiːtfəl]

The stress is on 'ceit' and sounds like 'di-seet-ful'.

Common phrases and grammar about deceitful

deceitful - Common meaning

adjective
dishonest, tricky

Part of Speech Changes for "deceitful"

▪ deceit (noun) – the act of lying or tricking

▪ deceive (verb) – to lie or trick someone

▪ deceiver (noun) – a person who lies or tricks

▪ deceitfully (adverb) – in a lying or tricky way

Common Expressions with "deceitful"

▪ deceitful behavior – tricky actions

▪ deceitful person – a person who lies

▪ deceitful tactics – tricky methods

▪ deceitful appearance – looks that trick

Important examples of deceitful in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC vocabulary questions, deceitful is often used to describe dishonest actions or people.

▪The salesman used deceitful tactics to sell the car.
▪The salesman used tricky methods to sell the car.

Example of a confusing word: deceptive (misleading)

▪The salesman used deceptive tactics to sell the car.
▪The salesman used misleading methods to sell the car.
"Deceitful" is an adjective meaning "dishonest" or "intending to deceive." In the sentence "The salesman used deceitful tactics to sell the car," it correctly describes actions meant to trick or mislead. "Deceptive," while similar in meaning to "deceitful," focuses more on the ability to mislead or give a false impression. Although "deceptive" could fit in this context, the subtle difference lies in the nuance: "deceitful" often implies intent, whereas "deceptive" can refer to something that appears misleading without necessarily implying intent. Both can be correct, but "deceitful" emphasizes the dishonesty of the tactics more directly.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

Deceitful is often used in grammar questions as an adjective describing a noun, focusing on dishonest behavior.

▪Her deceitful smile hid her true feelings.
▪Her tricky smile hid her true feelings.

deceitful

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

deceitful practice

'dishonest method', used when talking about unfair actions in business.

▪The company was accused of deceitful practices.
▪The company was accused of dishonest methods.

a wolf in sheep's clothing

means 'a deceitful person who seems nice'.

▪He is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
▪He is a tricky person who seems nice.

Differences between similar words and deceitful

deceitful

,

dishonest

differences

Deceitful implies actively trying to trick, while dishonest can be simply not telling the truth.

deceitful
▪She was deceitful in her dealings.
▪She was tricky in her dealings.
dishonest
▪He was dishonest about his grades.
▪He did not tell the truth about his grades.

deceitful

,

misleading

differences

Deceitful involves intent to deceive, while misleading can happen without intent.

deceitful
▪The advertisement was deceitful.
▪The instructions gave the wrong idea.
misleading
▪The instructions were misleading.
▪The instructions gave the wrong idea.

Words with the same origin as deceitful

The origin of deceitful

deceitful comes from the Latin 'decipere', which means 'to catch or ensnare'.

Word structure

It has the prefix de (down), root ceit (to take), suffix ful (full of), and means 'full of taking down'.

Words with the same origin

The root of deceitful is ceit (to take). Words with the same root include receive (to get), conceive (to form an idea).

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