deception

/dɪˈsepʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈsepʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈsep-shən/ (ame, mw)

deception — noun

  • deceptionsingular
  • deceptionsplural

1. intentionally causing a person to hold a false belief, typically so that you can

1.名詞B2
釋義

intentionally causing a person to hold a false belief, typically so that you can gain something from their mistaken trust

例句

The company was found guilty of deception after lying about product safety.

passive: be guilty of deception

Mizuki's deception was finally discovered when colleagues found the altered documents.

deception discovered / exposed

同義詞
  • deceit

    more focused on the quality or habit of being dishonest rather than a specific act

  • fraud

    a legal term for criminal deception for financial or material gain

  • trickery

    suggests clever but dishonest methods, often in a less serious or more playful way

反義詞
  • honesty

    the quality of being truthful and straightforward

  • truthfulness

    the habit of telling the truth

文法句型

deception + about + noun phrase

deception + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Use deceive (verb) for the action, deception for the act or practice itself. Frequently found in legal and political contexts, often followed by about (deception about the risks) or of (deception of the public).

常見錯誤

❌He deceptioned his boss.
✅He deceived his boss.
💡Deception is a noun only; the verb form is deceive.
❌She told a deception.
✅She told a lie.' or 'She committed an act of deception.
💡A deception is usually a planned campaign or system of falsehood, not a single false statement.

2. a false statement, dishonest action, or planned situation that is created specif

2.名詞B2
釋義

a false statement, dishonest action, or planned situation that is created specifically to trick someone

例句

The email promising a free vacation was a clever deception designed to steal personal information.

collocation: clever deception

Ada realized the job offer was a deception meant to steal her savings.

realize [something] is a deception

同義詞
  • trick

    more general and can be playful; deception is always dishonest and often serious

  • hoax

    a deliberate deception intended to fool a large number of people, often as a joke or scam

  • lie

    a false statement made intentionally; narrower than deception, which can include actions and situations

反義詞
  • truth

    a fact or statement that is accurate and honest

文法句型

a deception + to-infinitive

a deception + relative clause

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1 (the act/process), this sense refers to a specific thing — a trick, a false promise, or a misleading story. You can count individual deceptions: He told one deception after another.

常見錯誤

❌The children played a deception on their teacher.
✅The children played a trick on their teacher.
💡Deception is too strong and formal for a harmless prank.

3. the situation or experience of having been tricked into believing something fals

3.名詞C1
釋義

the situation or experience of having been tricked into believing something false, often without realizing it at the time

例句

The investors lived in a state of deception for months, believing their money was growing.

collocation: state of deception

After discovering the truth, Defne struggled with the painful awareness of her deception.

awareness of deception — realisation of being tricked

同義詞
  • delusion

    can refer to a false belief held even without another person's trickery; self-deception

  • misapprehension

    a misunderstanding, often without intentional trickery by another party

反義詞
  • enlightenment

    the state of having full understanding and knowledge of the truth

文法句型

in/under deception

state of deception

用法筆記

This sense is less common and mostly used in formal or literary writing. It focuses on the victim's perspective — being in a deceived state — rather than the deceiver's actions. Distinguish from sense 1 (the act of deceiving) and sense 2 (a specific trick or lie).