cheat
/tʃiːt/ (bre, ipa) · [tʃˈit] /tʃiːt/ (ame, ipa) · [tʃˈit] /ˈchēt/ (ame, mw)
cheat — verb
- cheatpresent simple I / you / we / they
- cheatshe / she / it
- cheatedpast simple
- cheating-ing form
1. to use lies or forbidden methods to get an advantage over other people, especial
to use lies or forbidden methods to get an advantage over other people, especially in a game, test, or business situation
Darius cheated on the test by hiding notes inside his pencil case.
cheat + on + [test/exam] — dishonest advantage
Some players tried to cheat the system by using fake names to enter the competition twice.
cheat + [system/rule] — transitive use
Tanvi caught her neighbour cheating at cards and refused to play with him again.
The company cheated its customers by charging for services they never provided.
Kabir felt terrible after he cheated in the race and knew he did not deserve the medal.
文法句型
cheat + on + [test/exam/partner]
cheat + at + [game/card game]
cheat + someone + out of + something
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'on' before the thing that is being cheated on (a test, a partner) or 'at' before the activity (cards, a game). The transitive form 'cheat someone out of something' usually involves taking money or property through deception.
常見錯誤
2. to manage to avoid something dangerous, unpleasant, or unwanted, often in a way
to manage to avoid something dangerous, unpleasant, or unwanted, often in a way that is clever or lucky — for example, cheating death when a car barely misses you, or cheating boredom by finding a creative way to pass the time
A cyclist cheated death when a truck missed him by only a few centimetres.
cheat death — fixed expression for narrowly avoiding fatal danger
Pedro cheated the cold weather by wearing three layers of clothing and a thick scarf.
By taking a shortcut through the park, we cheated the heavy traffic and arrived on time.
The old cat seemed to cheat old age, still jumping onto the roof at sixteen.
Yasmin cheated boredom during the long flight by watching three movies in a row.
文法句型
cheat + [death/old age/boredom/the system]
用法筆記
Most common in fixed expressions such as 'cheat death' (escape a life-threatening situation) and 'cheat old age' (stay active despite being old). The object is always something negative that one hopes to avoid. This sense is idiomatic and often used in storytelling or journalism.
常見錯誤
cheat — noun
- cheatsingular
- cheatsplural
1. a person who uses dishonest methods to get money, an advantage, or something the
a person who uses dishonest methods to get money, an advantage, or something they want from others
Nobody trusted the car salesman after they realised he was a cheat who lied about the vehicles.
The card game broke up when a player accused another of being a cheat.
Eli discovered his business partner was a cheat who had been taking money from the company.
In the exam hall, any student caught being a cheat would be sent to the principal immediately.
The newspaper called the politician a cheat for promising things he never intended to deliver.
用法筆記
This noun sense always refers to a person, never to an action or object. For the dishonest action itself, use the noun sense 'DISHONEST ACT' (index 2).
常見錯誤
2. a plan, method, or situation that tricks people into believing something false,
a plan, method, or situation that tricks people into believing something false, especially in order to get money or an advantage
The email offering free holidays turned out to be a complete cheat designed to steal bank details.
a complete cheat — dismissing something as deceptive
The company's green claim was a cheat — they still dumped waste into the river.
Trang discovered the cheat in the online store: the price looked lower, but the shipping fee was hidden.
Investors lost thousands when they fell for the property cheat organised by the fake agency.
The test answers sold online were a cheat — most of them were wrong.
用法筆記
Used in phrases like 'it's a cheat' to reject something as deceptive. Often describes a scheme or product that promises one thing but delivers something worthless. Less formal and less legally serious than 'fraud'.
常見錯誤
3. a secret command or button combination built into a video game that gives the pl
a secret command or button combination built into a video game that gives the player an advantage, such as extra lives or unlocking hidden content
Xiu typed a cheat into the console to get unlimited lives in the game.
cheat + into/on + [console/game] — gaming context
The game's cheat codes are listed on fan websites for anyone to use.
Using a cheat to skip difficult levels takes the fun out of playing.
Lakshmi spent hours looking for secret cheats that would unlock hidden characters.
The developer added a special cheat that turns all the enemies into dancing flowers.
- cheat code
fuller form, same meaning
- game hack
broader — can refer to external programs that modify the game
- exploit
uses a bug or unintended feature rather than a built-in code
用法筆記
Common in gaming communities and often called 'cheat code' or just 'code'. Different from a 'mod', which modifies the game's content rather than activating a built-in feature. Many modern games disable achievements when cheats are active.