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cheat

v. · n.
US //ˈtʃit// UK //tʃˈiːt// cheat
  1. 1 to break rules (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to break the rules of a game, exam, or competition to win or get a better result.

    to violate established rules or standards in order to gain an unfair advantage, particularly in academic or competitive contexts.

    Example

    He was caught trying to cheat on the history exam by looking at his phone.

    Example

    The athlete was stripped of her gold medal after officials discovered she had cheated by using banned substances during training.

    Usage

    Often used with the preposition 'on' for exams or 'at' for games.
    • play fair
    Pitfall
    He cheated the exam.
    He cheated on the exam.

    When you break rules during a test, use the preposition 'on'.

  2. 2 to be unfaithful (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to have a secret romantic relationship with someone who is not your husband, wife, or partner.

    to engage in a sexual or romantic relationship with someone other than one's established partner in violation of a commitment.

    Example

    She decided to leave him after she found out he was cheating on her.

    Example

    The tabloid newspapers were filled with rumours that the famous actor had been cheating on his spouse with a co-star.

    Usage

    Usually takes the preposition 'on' followed by the partner's name.
    • be faithful
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  1. 3 to avoid something bad (v.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    to narrowly avoid something bad that seemed certain to happen.

    to escape or avoid a seemingly inevitable negative outcome through luck or skill.

    Example

    The driver cheated death when his car stopped just inches from the cliff edge.

    Example

    The mountain climber has cheated death on several occasions, surviving avalanches and extreme equipment failures.

    Usage

    Commonly found in the fixed idiom 'cheat death'.

    Teacher's tip

    This is a more dramatic, literary use of the word; in everyday speech, 'narrowly escaped' is more common.
  2. 4 a person who breaks rules (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a person who acts dishonestly to win or get an advantage.

    a person who behaves dishonestly or violates rules for personal gain.

    Example

    Nobody wanted to play cards with him because he was a known cheat.

    Example

    The committee labelled him a cheat and a fraud after the financial discrepancies were brought to light.
  3. 5 video game shortcut (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Informal Computing

    a secret code or trick used to make a video game easier.

    a hidden command or programmed shortcut that allows a player to bypass standard game mechanics.

    Example

    I used a cheat to get infinite lives so I could finally finish the last level.

    Example

    The developer included several cheats in the game's code to help testers navigate the environment more quickly.

    Usage

    Often used as 'cheat code' or 'a cheat'.
Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle English acheten, variant of escheten, from Old French escheoiter, from the noun (see below). Displaced native Old English beswīcan.

Etymology 2

Inherited from Middle English chete, an aphetic form of eschete (“the reversion of property to the state”), from Old French eschet, escheit, escheoit (“that which falls to one”), from the past participle of escheoir (“to fall”) (modern French échoir), from Vulgar Latin *excadēre, from Latin ex- + cadere (“fall”).

Etymology 3

Inherited from Middle English chet (“low-quality bread”), of unknown origin; compare manchet.

Word family
Idioms2 entries

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