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dishonest

dishonest

128 2.5
Likely to lie or cheat to get something for yourself
  • adjective
  • /dɪsˈɒnɪst/
: deshonesto
  • So I regard her as an entirely dishonest figure.
  • dishonest behavior
  • a dishonest person
  • dishonest people

I don't think it's dishonest to withhold judgement.

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Examples

  • The politician was known for his dishonest dealings, which eroded public trust.

  • Now that I know that some people out there are purposely dishonest, I'm not taking anything at face value.

  • Is that being, you know, dishonest to my audience?

  • Now, some people say it's dishonest to, to not tell them everything.

  • So I like the fact they stop people from doing dishonest stuff and not paying when they said they would.

  • You went to all this trouble to try to catch me in a lie... ...and you were the one being dishonest.

  • Honey, I'm so sorry you keep running into dishonest men.

  • Only then did the dishonest emperor resign the throne.

  • Some of them are dishonest people, some of them are unpleasant people.

  • To do otherwise is not only dishonest, it's also a historical hoax.

    Fiction book (1997)

Synonyms

corrupt
vsdishonest
298 4.4

Willing to act dishonestly to gain money or power

is the general label for acting without moral integrity
full of shit
vsdishonest
  • Offensive
97 9.9

A person who lies or says things that are not true

is the neutral term that also highlights corrupt acts
fraudulent
vsdishonest
87 6.5

Trying to trick people to get their money

is the more general moral label including such schemes
shady
vsdishonest
  • Informal
87 5.5

Not honest and likely to do illegal things

is the direct moral label for lying or cheating behavior
deceptive
vsdishonest
59 5.3

Appearing true but making someone believe something that is not true

focuses more on intent to cheat or gain personally
devious
vsdishonest
49 6.4

Acting in a dishonest or tricky way to get what you want

is straighter, focusing on open lying or corrupt acts
deceitful
vsdishonest
31 5.0

Acting in a dishonest way to make people believe something untrue

is broader, stressing lying or cheating for personal gain
unscrupulous
vsdishonest
24 7.5

A person or company that is not honest and tries to take advantage of others

is the simpler label focusing on lying or cheating actions
dishonorable
vsdishonest
  • US
19 6.0

Not honest or fair and causing shame

is less moral judgement and more about lying for gain
shifty
vsdishonest
14 7.4

A look or behavior that seems dishonest and hard to trust

is more about deliberate lying or cheating for gain
venal
vsdishonest
  • Formal
9 9.1

Willing to take money to do illegal or dishonest things

is broader and covers immoral acts not only for payment
mendacious
vsdishonest
  • Formal
6 9.1

Saying things that are not true

is the general label for lying plus corrupt actions
untruthful
vsdishonest
6 4.8

Not honest and likely to tell lies

is wider, including cheating or corrupt behavior for gain
perfidious
vsdishonest
  • Formal
2 9.2

Likely to betray someone's trust by lying or cheating

is more general, covering lying and cheating for personal gain
carny
vsdishonest
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Dishonest in a way that makes you think of a scam

is the direct moral label for lying or corrupt acts
untrusty
vsdishonest
  • Archaic
1 8.9

Not safe to depend on because they may fail or betray you

adds active lying or cheating aimed at personal benefit
rascally
vsdishonest
  • Informal
1 7.0

Dishonest and likely to trick people for money or advantage

is the straightforward term for deliberate lying or cheating
falsehearted
vsdishonest
  • Offensive
1 8.0

A person who is not loyal or honest and who breaks trust

is wider, applying to general lying and corrupt behavior
truthless
vsdishonest
1 7.6

Not honest and likely to say things that are not true

covers that lack but adds cheating or corrupt motives

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Truthful and fair, not cheating or lying

87 2.1

A person or thing you can depend on to be honest

How Dishonest

fraudulent
87 6.5
corrupt
298 4.4
deceitful
31 5.0
dishonest
128 2.5
untruthful
6 4.8
misleading
134 4.4

Surface Forms

dishonest positive
dishonester comparative
dishonestest superlative

Morphology

dishonest = honest (transparent) = dis + honest

This is a standard negative prefix added to 'honest', yielding the directly predictable meaning 'not honest'.

Etymology

Dishonest breaks into the prefix dis- meaning 'not', as in disagree, and the word honest, meaning 'truthful' or 'fair'. So dishonest means 'not honest', someone who lies or cheats.