deceive
Definitions
To trick or mislead someone into believing something that is not true
欺骗，蒙骗（使人相信不实之事）
To give a mistaken impression; (of appearances) to be misleading
（外表等）使人产生错觉，具有迷惑性
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedde- (away) + -ceive (Latin capere, "take") = "to take away." What gets taken away is the truth. To deceive someone is to catch them — Latin decipere meant "to ensnare, entrap" — and quietly carry the truth out of their reach, leaving a false picture in its place. The same hand that receives can also snatch away.
Root cap still carries 163 more wordsWhy It Means This
Deceive is the "away" member of the -ceive trio: receive takes in, perceive takes through, deceive takes away — specifically, it takes the truth away from its victim. The Latin source decipere literally meant "to catch in a trap," which is why deceit so often involves a carefully laid scheme rather than a single lie.
Common Collocations
- 1.deceive someone欺骗某人
- 2.deceive yourself自欺
- 3.easily deceived容易上当
- 4.appearances can deceive外表可能骗人
- 5.deliberately deceive蓄意欺骗
Example Sentences
- 1.
He deceived investors with promises of huge returns.
- 2.
Don't let her calm face deceive you.
- 3.
We deceive ourselves if we ignore the warnings.
- 4.
The photo was edited to deceive the public.
Synonym Comparison
- deceive — to make someone believe a falsehood, often through a planned trick
- mislead — to lead someone to a wrong conclusion, possibly by accident
- trick — informal; a single clever act of deception
- dupe — to fool a gullible person, emphasizing their naivety
- delude — to deceive deeply, often used of someone deceiving themselves