deceive

/dɪˈsiːv/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈsiːv/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈsēv/ (ame, mw)

deceive — verb

  • deceivepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • deceiveshe / she / it
  • deceivedpast simple
  • deceiving-ing form

1. to get someone to accept a false idea as if it were real, often by hiding the fa

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to get someone to accept a false idea as if it were real, often by hiding the facts or saying things that are untrue, usually in order to gain something for yourself.

例句

A dishonest salesman deceived elderly customers into signing expensive contracts.

deceive + somebody + into + -ing

Quan felt deceived when he learned his business partner had hidden the company's losses.

passive: feel deceived

同義詞
  • trick

    more general and slightly less serious; often used for playful or clever deceptions

  • fool

    similar to 'trick', but can carry a sense of making someone look foolish

  • mislead

    softer than 'deceive'; can be done accidentally without dishonest intent

反義詞
  • enlighten

    to give someone the true facts and clear up their mistaken belief

  • undeceive

    formal and rare; to free someone from a false belief

文法句型

deceive + somebody

deceive + somebody + into + -ing

用法筆記

Frequently used in the pattern 'deceive somebody into doing something'. The passive form 'be / feel deceived' is common when focusing on the person who was tricked rather than the deceiver. Distinguish from sense 2, where the object is oneself.

常見錯誤

❌He deceived the company for giving him money.
✅He deceived the company into giving him money.
💡the pattern is 'deceive + person + into + -ing', not 'for + -ing'.
❌She deceived to him about her age.
✅She deceived him about her age.
💡'deceive' is transitive; it takes a direct object with no preposition.

2. to refuse to see or accept an uncomfortable truth, especially about your own act

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to refuse to see or accept an uncomfortable truth, especially about your own actions, abilities, or feelings, and to keep telling yourself an easier version instead.

例句

Arjun was deceiving himself if he thought the marriage could survive without honest communication.

deceive + oneself + if + thought

Eri kept deceiving herself that her credit card debt would somehow disappear on its own.

deceive + oneself + that-clause

同義詞
  • kid oneself

    informal equivalent; 'Don't kid yourself — you know he's not coming back.'

  • delude oneself

    more formal; suggests a stronger, more serious refusal to face reality

反義詞
  • face the truth

    to accept an unpleasant reality rather than avoid it

  • acknowledge

    to admit that something is true, especially something difficult

文法句型

deceive + reflexive pronoun

deceive + yourself + into + -ing/that-clause

用法筆記

Always reflexive — the subject and object refer to the same person (deceive yourself / himself / ourselves, etc.). Common in the patterns 'deceive yourself that...', 'deceive yourself into thinking...', and 'deceive yourself about...'. This sense is never used transitively with a separate person as object.

常見錯誤

❌He deceived that everything was fine.
✅He deceived himself that everything was fine.
💡this sense requires a reflexive pronoun as the object.
❌She deceived herself that her job was safe' (when meaning someone told her it was safe).
✅She deceived herself that her job was safe.
💡but note: this means she refused to see the truth, not that someone lied to her. For external deception use sense 1.