double-tongued

9.4

Showing one feeling while acting differently to trick people

adjective
/ˈdʌbəlˈtʌŋd/

: hipócrita

Business rivals accused him of being double-tongued when he praised their work but secretly undermined them.

Examples

She was wary of his double-tongued reassurances, suspecting his true intentions were different.
Many regarded the politician as double-tongued because he made promises he never intended to keep.
The politician was double-tongued in his speeches.
Don't trust him; he's double-tongued!
Business rivals accused him of being double-tongued when he praised their work but secretly undermined them.
Many regarded the politician as double-tongued because he made promises he never intended to keep.
She was wary of his double-tongued reassurances, suspecting his true intentions were different.

Synonyms

hypocritical

vsdouble-tongued

83 6.1

Acting like you have strong moral rules when you do not follow them

means pretending feelings in general rather than specifically moral rule-keeping

disingenuous

vsdouble-tongued

66 7.8

Pretending to be honest by hiding what you know

focuses on pretending feelings and intentions rather than feigned ignorance

deceptive

vsdouble-tongued

62 5.3

Appearing true but making someone believe something that is not true

involves deliberate pretending of feelings rather than any accidental false impression

deceitful

vsdouble-tongued

31 5.0

Acting in a dishonest way to make people believe something untrue

is about pretending feelings while acting differently, not all forms of dishonesty

two-faced

vsdouble-tongued

Offensive

22 6.7

A person who acts friendly to your face while saying bad things behind your back

refers to pretending feelings while acting differently, not only social inconsistency

duplicitous

vsdouble-tongued

15 8.9

Pretending to feel one way while acting another way

is the label that stresses moral insincerity rather than mere trickery

guileful

vsdouble-tongued

1 8.9

A person or plan that tricks people to get what they want

focuses on pretending feelings rather than using clever trickery

double-faced

vsdouble-tongued

Offensive

8.4

Appearing friendly while secretly acting in a dishonest way

focuses on pretending feelings rather than only hidden actions

Janus-faced

vsdouble-tongued

Offensive

9.9

To pretend to feel one thing while acting the opposite

is about deliberate pretense of feelings while acting differently, not only dual appearance

Antonyms

honest

∞ 1.0

Truthful and fair, not cheating or lying

sincere

239 2.5

Being honest and showing what you really feel

How Deceitful

duplicitous

15 8.9

double-tongued

9.4

deceitful

31 5.0

dishonest

128 2.5

insincere

19 4.2

Surface Forms

double-tongued positive

Morphology

double-tongued = double + tongued (semi-transparent) = double + tongue + ed

The components 'double' + 'tongue' are clear, but the idiomatic sense 'duplicitous' is a figurative extension that may not be directly deduced by all learners.

Etymology

Double-tongued combines double ('two') and tongue ('speech'), so it creates the image of a person with 'two tongues' who says one thing to one person and another thing to someone else. That's why it means being deliberately deceitful or 'two-faced'.