deceit

deceit — noun

1. behaviour in which you intentionally hide the real situation or change the facts

1.名詞B2
釋義

behaviour in which you intentionally hide the real situation or change the facts so that another person believes something false, usually in order to gain an advantage for yourself.

例句

The politician was accused of deceit when he lied about the new tax plan.

accused of deceit — common passive pattern with 'of'

Tara could not forgive her business partner for the years of deceit.

forgive [sb] for deceit — preposition 'for' after verb

同義詞
  • deception

    Broader term that covers both the act and the result of deceiving; 'deceit' often emphasises the moral quality more strongly.

  • fraud

    Stronger, legally specific term for criminal dishonesty involving money or property; 'deceit' is broader and not always illegal.

  • dishonesty

    Wider in scope, covering any lack of truthfulness including small everyday lies; 'deceit' implies more deliberate planning.

  • trickery

    Slightly more informal; emphasises clever or playful deception rather than serious moral failure.

反義詞
  • honesty

    Direct opposite — behaviour based on truth and sincerity.

  • truthfulness

    The quality of always telling the truth; 'deceit' is the deliberate absence of this.

  • sincerity

    Focuses on genuine feelings and intentions, contrasted with deceit's calculated falsehood.

文法句型

deceit + of + noun phrase

by deceit

through deceit

用法筆記

More formal than 'lying' or 'cheating'. Often uncountable (a web of deceit), but can be countable when referring to a specific dishonest act (a series of deceits).

常見錯誤

❌She told a deceit.
✅She told a lie.
💡'deceit' refers to the behaviour or quality of dishonesty, not a single false statement; use 'lie' for one false claim.
❌He deceived me with deceit.
✅He deceived me.' or 'He used deceit.
💡'deceive' already contains the meaning of deceit; using both together is redundant.