deceit

Definitions

de- (away) + -ceit (from Old French deceite, "taken away") = "the taking-away of truth." The -ceit form is the Old French past-participle cousin of -ceive: just as conceit pairs with conceive, deceit pairs with deceive. It names the trait or the lie rather than the act (which is deception).

Why It Means This

Deceit shares its odd -ceit spelling with conceit: both come from Old French past participles of capere-based verbs. Where deception is the act, deceit is the moral quality — a person can be "full of deceit."

Common Collocations

• 1.full of deceit满是欺诈
• 2.a web of deceit重重欺骗
• 3.elaborate deceit精心的骗局
• 4.practice deceit行骗

Example Sentences

• 1.

  Their whole relationship was built on deceit.

• 2.

  He used deceit to win their trust.

• 3.

  She saw through his deceit at once.