dishonest implies a willful perversion of truth in order to deceive, cheat, or defraud.
a swindle usually involves two dishonest people
deceitful usually implies an intent to mislead and commonly suggests a false appearance or double-dealing.
the secret affairs of a deceitful spouse
mendacious may suggest bland or even harmlessly mischievous deceit and when used of people often suggests a habit of telling untruths.
mendacious tales of adventure
untruthful stresses a discrepancy between what is said and fact or reality.
an untruthful account of their actions
Examples of dishonest in a Sentence
She gave dishonest answers to our questions.
I think he is being dishonest about how much he knows
Recent Examples on the WebAt minimum, Spotify’s actions clearly violate the spirit of the agreement, and to say otherwise is blatantly dishonest.—Adam Parness, Billboard, 22 May 2024 These meetings were regularly highlighted by Mr. Cassilly’s unprofessional behavior and at times unhinged and dishonest commentary and attacks.—Jeffrey Gahler, Baltimore Sun, 20 Mar. 2024 However, calling Spotify’s premium service a bundle is dishonest.—David Israelite, Billboard, 20 May 2024 However, some are poorly qualified, overloaded with too many associations, disorganized, poor at customer relations, or even unethical and dishonest.—Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for dishonest
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dishonest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French deshoneste, from des- dis- + honeste honest
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