deception
2
4.3
- noun
- /dɪˈsɛpʃən/
- The illusionist's greatest feat was a stunning deception that left the audience in awe.
- self-deception
Examples
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This water, placid now, is but a calm deception.
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The romantic taste for woodnotes wild is fertile ground for such deceptions.
Academic text (2011) -
This deception is their surface magic.
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It's a game of deception.
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Brilliant deception, don't you think?
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What you see before you is a masterpiece of deception.
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Our lives are elaborate deceptions.
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Theatricality and deception, powerful agents to the uninitiated.
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Other skeptics, like the magician Harry Houdini, used such arts of deception to debunk faith in Spiritualism.
Academic text (2013) -
Optical Illusions is chock-full of illusions, delusions, and deceptions—all challenging the notion that seeing is believing.
Academic text (1995)
Synonyms
∞
2.7
A false statement told to trick someone
274
2.3
A clever act that looks like magic and entertains people
135
4.1
A trick that makes people believe something false
76
6.1
A false claim or action to hide the truth
76
7.4
A false show that hides what is really happening
65
4.6
Dishonest action meant to trick someone
60
7.7
A clever trick to deceive someone
59
4.2
A magic trick that makes something look impossible
44
2.7
A performance that looks impossible and surprises people
31
6.5
A false story made to trick people
26
4.9
To use dishonest ways to cheat people
18
8.1
Words or actions that trick people by seeming magical
17
9.3
A trick used to cheat people, often to get their money
6
6.8
A thing or action made to trick people into thinking it is real
3
9.9
Hiding your true feelings or intentions by pretending
2
9.9
A skill of quick hand tricks to fool people, like a magician
2
9.9
A trick done to cheat or fool people
1
4.9
A magic trick that seems to break natural rules to surprise and amuse people
1
7.4
Pretending to have an illness or feeling to trick others
1
9.9
A trick that looks like real magic and amazes people
To make false information, for example in documents or results, to trick people
A dishonest change of facts or numbers to hide the truth
Antonyms
Compounds
- Specialized
To send fake radar or radio signals into enemy systems to trick them
- Specialized
Using electronic tools to make the enemy believe friendly forces are in a different place or stronger
- Specialized
Actions that change electronic signals to hide or confuse enemy radars
- Specialized
To send fake radio signals that look real to trick enemy electronic systems
- Specialized
The use of electronic signals to pretend to be friendly systems like radar to mislead the enemy
How Deceptive
Surface Forms
Morphology
deception = deceive (semi-transparent) = decept + ion
The noun is formed from the verb 'deceive' + '-ion', but the stem alternation (deceive → decept-) and spelling change can confuse learners.
Etymology
Deception comes from the Latin verb decipere meaning 'to take in' or 'to trick'. Think of a magic trick that 'takes in' the audience by creating a false impression, which is why a deception can seem like real magic.