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 next

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 The bank temporarily increased its numbers until its deceitful actions became public, leading to $185 million in fines and continuous significant expenses for rebuilding customer trust. —

Boris Kontsevoi, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 Advertisement In his first term, President Trump wasn’t happy with Pakistan and described its establishment as deceitful. —

Mohammed Hanif, Time, 2 Sep. 2025 Kelley allegedly sent deceitful emails to unwitting postal employees between 2019 and 2023, telling them to intercept packages that were determined to have been sent by victims of a Jamaican scam that targeted Americans. —

Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025 Everybody’s playing, everybody’s being deceitful, and Matthew isn’t the worst. —

William Earl, Variety, 22 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deceitful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceitful

Adjective

Some defendants are also accused of conspiring to bribe a civilian contractor to create fraudulent military IDs for base access.

— Steve Patterson, Florida Times-Union, 5 Feb. 2026
Rivers used her professional connection with Event Décor Direct in Deerfield Beach to take money from the event decoration business over a three-month period in 2025, in part by making dozens of fraudulent transactions and credit card purchases, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Thursday.

— Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026

Definition of fraudulent

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deceitful

deceitfully

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“Deceitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceitful. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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Last Updated: 14 Feb 2026 - Updated example sentences

Synonyms of deceitful

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