dishonest

adjective

dis·​hon·​est (ˌ)dis-ˈä-nəst How to pronounce dishonest (audio)
also (ˌ)diz-
Synonyms of dishonest
1
obsolete : shameful, unchaste
2
: characterized by lack of truth, honesty, or trustworthiness : unfair, deceptive
dishonestly adverb

Synonyms of dishonest

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dishonest, deceitful, mendacious, untruthful mean unworthy of trust or belief.

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 Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There is an endless list of important takeaways from the new information, notably that Fauci was repeatedly and purposefully dishonest in order to get the public to comply with his policies and recommendations. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026 But 52% of employees in that same study believe their company's efforts to be empathetic are dishonest. — Dennis Kozak, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 The state agency said clinic staffers had clients sign a personal injury waiver, which the commission said was unenforceable, against public policy and deceptive and dishonest. — Ashley Hiruko, ProPublica, 8 July 2026 There is no industry-standard pricing for tax relief, which is one reason why taxpayers can sometimes fall victim to overpriced or dishonest tax relief scams. — Nick Perry, USA Today, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dishonest

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French deshoneste, from des- dis- + honeste honest

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dishonest was in the 14th century

Rhymes for dishonest

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Browse Nearby Words

dishome
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Cite this Entry

“Dishonest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dishonest. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

dishonest

adjective
dis·​hon·​est (ˈ)dis-ˈän-əst How to pronounce dishonest (audio)
: not honest or trustworthy : deceitful
dishonest people
dishonestly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on dishonest

Nglish: Translation of dishonest for Spanish Speakers

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