undeceive

/ˌən-di-ˈsēv/ (ame, mw)

undeceive — verb

  • undeceivepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • undeceives3rd person singular
  • undeceiving-ing form
  • undeceivedpast simple

1. to tell or show someone the truth after they have believed something mistaken, s

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to tell or show someone the truth after they have believed something mistaken, so that they stop holding the wrong idea about a situation

例句

Amira undeceived her colleague about the rumour that had been spreading around the office.

undeceive + [person] + about [something]

A careful reading of the contract undeceived the anxious buyers about the hidden fees.

inanimate subject (reading) as the agent

同義詞
  • disabuse

    More formal and literary; 'disabuse' strongly implies a firmly held wrong idea, while 'undeceive' is gentler and less common.

  • set straight

    Informal and more direct; often used in everyday conversation, whereas 'undeceive' belongs to formal writing.

  • enlighten

    Broader in scope — can mean simply 'inform' or 'educate' without implying a prior false belief.

反義詞
  • deceive

    The direct opposite: to cause someone to believe something false deliberately.

  • mislead

    To cause someone to have the wrong idea, though not always with deliberate intent.

文法句型

undeceive + [person]

undeceive + [person] + about/as to + [something]

be undeceived + by/about/as to + [something]

用法筆記

Typically used in formal or written contexts. The object is always a person or group that holds a false belief, not the false belief itself. Common in passive constructions, especially with evidence or events as the agent that reveals the truth.

常見錯誤

❌She undeceived the lie.
✅She undeceived him about the lie.
💡The object of 'undeceive' must be a person, not the false claim itself.
❌I undeceived his plan.' (meaning I saw through it).
✅I undeceived him about his plan.
💡The word corrects a person's thinking, not exposes a thing.