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# deceitful

adjective (deceitful, more deceitful, most deceitful)

«deceitful» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A deceitful person often lies or tricks people to make them believe things that are not true. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceitful/#m1)
2. A deceitful action or word is meant to trick someone. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceitful/#m2)

### In the lessons

In stories, deceitful characters (like the wolf in «Little Red Riding Hood») use lies to get what they want; the reader learns not to trust them. In lessons on honesty and online safety, deceitful messages and scams try to fool you. Phrases: «deceitful behaviour», «a deceitful smile».

### Examples

- The deceitful fox pretended to be the hen's friend. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceitful/#x1)
- It was deceitful to copy his homework and say it was yours. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceitful/#x2)
- The scam email was deceitful: it pretended to come from a bank. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceitful/#x3)
- She was hurt by her friend's deceitful words. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceitful/#x4)
- The villain hid his deceitful plan behind a smile. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceitful/#x5)
- Being deceitful can break people's trust. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceitful/#x6)
- The queen, who did not imagine that any person could be so deceitful, bade her stepmother welcome, and kept her beside her. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceitful/#x7)

### Note

Spelling: «ei» after c (deceit, deceive). Noun: deceit; verb: deceive. Opposite: honest, truthful.

## In Jewish tradition

Describing lying speech or false things. The Psalms often ask God to save the speaker from deceitful lips.

**Interpretation.** Tradition teaches that guarding the tongue from lying and gossip is a very important duty.

### Examples

- Thou lovest all devouring words, the deceitful tongue. (Writings PSA.52.6, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/deceitful/#x1)
- Be not desirous of his dainties; seeing they are deceitful food. (Writings PRO.23.3, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/deceitful/#x2)
- O LORD, deliver my soul from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. (Writings PSA.120.2, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/deceitful/#x3)

### Note

Spelling: «ei» after c (deceit, deceive). Noun: deceit; verb: deceive. Opposite: honest, truthful.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «deceitful» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceitful/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«deceitful» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/deceitful.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «deceitful» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/deceitful/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«deceitful» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/deceitful.html) on Mova free.