Synonyms and antonyms of Words used to describe dishonest people and behaviour in British Thesaurus

clever (adjective)

good at achieving what you want, especially by using unusual or slightly dishonest methods

dubious (adjective)

not completely good, safe, or honest

corrupt (adjective)

doing dishonest, illegal, or immoral things in order to gain money or power

dishonest (adjective)

willing to do things that are not honest, for example tell lies or steal things

cunning (adjective)

someone who is cunning uses their intelligence to get what they want, especially by tricking or cheating people

devious (adjective)

dishonest and clever

fraudulent (adjective)

made with the intention of tricking someone, especially illegally

unscrupulous (adjective)

willing to do things that are unfair, dishonest, or illegal

unworthy (adjective)

dishonest, or morally wrong

sketchy (adjective)

informal dishonest or not reliable

unsportsmanlike (adjective)

showing disapproval unfair or not respectful towards other players when playing sports

artful (adjective)

skilled at achieving an effect or getting something from people, especially in a dishonest way

bent (adjective)

Britishinformal dishonest

butter wouldn’t melt in someone’s mouth ()

used for saying that someone looks as if they are very good and would never do anything wrong, although in fact they would

conniving (adjective)

dishonest in a clever way, especially in order to get something that you want or in order to harm someone

corruptible (adjective)

capable of being corrupted

crafty (adjective)

good at getting what you want, especially in a slightly dishonest way

crafty (adjective)

used about someone’s behaviour or actions

crooked (adjective)

informal dishonest and likely to do illegal things, especially in order to get money

cunning (adjective)

used about people’s behaviour, actions, or ideas

deceitful (adjective)

behaving dishonestly in order to trick people

deceptive (adjective)

trying to trick someone by telling them something that is not true

devious (adjective)

used about people’s behaviour

disreputable (adjective)

not respected, and considered dishonest or illegal

dodgy (adjective)

Britishinformal dishonest, criminal, or not reliable

duplicitous (adjective)

formal behaving dishonestly in order to trick someone

evasive (adjective)

not talking or answering questions in an honest way

faithless (adjective)

mainly literary not loyal or honest

fast-talking (adjective)

talking very quickly, especially in order to trick someone or to persuade them to buy something

fly-by-night (adjective)

informal a fly-by-night company or businessman cannot be trusted because they are dishonest or may fail

foxy (adjective)

good at tricking or cheating people

funny (adjective)

dishonest, or illegal

grubby (adjective)

dishonest and morally bad

in cahoots (with someone) ()

secretly involved with someone in a dishonest activity or plan

light-fingered (adjective)

someone who is light-fingered often steals things

lousy (adjective)

informal used about an unpleasant or dishonest person

low (adjective)

unfair, or dishonest

lowdown (adjective)

mainly Americaninformal unfair, unpleasant, or dishonest

Machiavellian (adjective)

using clever tricks and dishonest methods to achieve an aim, especially in politics

manipulative (adjective)

showing disapproval someone who is manipulative makes people do what they want by influencing them in a clever or dishonest way

mendacious (adjective)

very formal not telling the truth

shabby (adjective)

not fair, or not honest

sharp (adjective)

informal dishonest and good at tricking people

shifty (adjective)

informal looking dishonest

shonky (adjective)

Australianvery informal dishonest, not reliable, or of bad quality

sleazy (adjective)

dishonest, or immoral

slippery (adjective)

informal someone who is slippery is clever but dishonest, so that you cannot trust them

sly (adjective)

showing disapproval clever at tricking people or at secretly doing unfair or dishonest things

sneaky (adjective)

doing or saying things secretly, often in a dishonest or unfair way. This word shows that you dislike people and behaviour like this

thieving (adjective)

informal behaving like a thief

tricky (adjective)

informal a tricky person is likely to use dishonest tricks

under/by false pretences ()

if you get something under false pretences, you get it by tricking people

unprincipled (adjective)

willing to use dishonest or unfair methods in order to get what you want

untruthful (adjective)

not honest or true

venal (adjective)

very formal dishonest and ready to do anything in order to get money

wily (adjective)

clever and willing to trick people in order to get what you want