Definition of dishonestnext
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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

Synonym Chooser

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 The fact that people have to be dishonest with each other. Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026 Like the other characters in the book, Harper is a stock figure, the brainiac child, but her fearlessness in the face of a crumbling, dishonest world reinvigorates the type. Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026 The American public gained a negative impression of McCarthy–many seeing him as bullying, reckless, and dishonest. Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2026 By contrast, Farmer’s book editor Davis is charming and ebullient, but also vain, dishonest, overtly macho and misogynistic. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dishonest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dishonest
Adjective
  • This is both obvious and a bit misleading.
    Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
  • By the end of his first term, The Washington Post had documented 30,573 false or misleading claims.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
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
Adjective
  • Authorities did not provide additional details about the agents' apparently false statements.
    Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Nevertheless, Worden continued to promote the false claim to news outlets and hired a media consultant to amplify it, the documents said.
    Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Congress foolishly downsized that number in the 1980s and ’90s on the erroneous belief that more doctors would encourage unnecessary health care consumption.
    Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Civilians misidentified as undercover officers have been chased by anti-ICE mobs in public, even while the victims were going about their daily lives, based on erroneous reporting from fellow ICE monitors.
    Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Savings are only on brand names, which can be deceptive when comparing prices.
    Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Novo has so far filed around 130 lawsuits dealing with deceptive marketing practices and consumer fraud, Kuckelman said.
    Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • 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
  • In the dry California hills, an intentional community tries to build a pyre for one of its own, and, in the complex and mendacious aftermath, may end up sort of burning down the nation-state.
    Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • Ron Leibman and Paul Sand round out their gang, with Zero Mostel as the crooked attorney who serves as a go-between.
    Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Descend its famously crooked path, flanked by cascading hydrangeas and storybook Edwardian homes—then watch cars zigzag through eight tight switchbacks while tourists crowd the sidewalks, snapping photos of its surreal descent.
    Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Trump, of course, was rude, untruthful, and excessively, if not quite so egregiously, long-winded in his first term, too.
    Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
  • The search led her to a nearby house — and into a complicated situation involving several untruthful children and their parents.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 15 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dishonest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dishonest. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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