Word
dishonest
Phoneticsdis·hon·est, stress on the second syllable
US/dɪˈsɑnəst/
UK/dɪsˈɒnɪst/
Definitions
01deceitful or untruthful
B1 · Intermediate
adj. not honest; likely to lie, cheat, or steal to get what you want.
adj. behaving in a deceitful or untrustworthy manner; lacking integrity in speech or action.
“It was dishonest of him to take credit for work he didn't do.”
“The investigation revealed that the company had been using dishonest accounting practices to hide its mounting debts from investors.”
Antonyms
02intended to deceive
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. describes something, like a statement or a plan, that is meant to trick people.
adj. intended to mislead or deceive; fraudulent in nature or purpose.
“The advertisement was dishonest because it didn't mention the extra costs.”
“The politician's dishonest response to the scandal only served to further erode the public's trust in the administration.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “dishonest” in context.
Verb
01. be dishonest about
“He was dishonest about his previous work experience during the interview.”
verb + adj + prep
02. prove dishonest
“The accountant proved dishonest after the audit revealed missing funds.”
verb + adj
Adjective
03. dishonest behavior
“The school has a zero-tolerance policy regarding dishonest behavior during exams.”
adj + noun
04. dishonest means
“He acquired his wealth through dishonest means, including fraud and tax evasion.”
adj + noun
05. fundamentally dishonest
“The politician's speech was fundamentally dishonest, ignoring all the key facts of the situation.”
adv + adj
06. thoroughly dishonest
“The company's marketing campaign was thoroughly dishonest and misled thousands of customers.”
adv + adj
Real-World Examples
“He denies acting dishonestly or intending to make a dishonest gain.” “It added that certain factual witnesses provided evidence "that they knew to be untrue and so had been dishonest".” “For example, the prompts might encourage the model to be honest or dishonest or they might be examples of harmful or harmless responses.” Etymology
From Middle English dishoneste (“dishonourable”), from Old French deshoneste, from Latin dehonestus. Equivalent to dis- + honest. Displaced native Old English unsōþfæst.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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