Standard Lemma guide

defraud

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /dɪˈfɹɔːd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /dɪˈfɹɔd/
  • cot-caught-merger: /dɪˈfɹɑd/
  • rhymes with -ɔːd
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 F R AO1 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To obtain money or property from (a person) by fraud; to swindle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To deprive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

deprive of by deceit

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He swindled me out of my inheritance
  • She defrauded the customers who trusted her
  • the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: victimize, swindle, rook, goldbrick, nobble, diddle, bunco, scam, mulct, gyp, gip, hornswoggle, short-change, con

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cheat, rip off, chisel

Narrower terms: short-change, short

History

Etymology

From Middle English defrauden, from Old French defrauder, from de- + frauder.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: измамвам (izmamvam) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Catalan: estafar — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Catalan: defraudar — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Chinese Mandarin: 騙取 /骗取 (piànqǔ) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Chinese Mandarin: 詐取 /诈取 (zhàqǔ) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Czech: podvodně připravit — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Czech: ošidit — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Czech: obrat — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Czech: okrást — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Esperanto: fraŭdi — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Finnish: huijata — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • French: escroquer — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • French: (fam) arnaquer — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • German: betrügen — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • German: erschwindeln — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Gothic: 𐌱𐌹𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌽 (bifaihōn) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Ancient Greek: φενακίζω (phenakízō) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Hindi: ठगना (ṭhagnā) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Italian: frodare — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Japanese: 騙し取る (damashitoru) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Japanese: 騙取する (henshu suru) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Japanese: 詐取する (sashu suru) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Latin: fraudō — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Macedonian: и́змами (ízmami) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Malayalam: വഞ്ചിക്കുക (vañcikkuka) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Malayalam: പറ്റിക്കുക (paṟṟikkuka) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Manchu: ᡧᡝᡵᡳᠮᡝ ᡤᠠᡳᠮᠪᡳ (šerime gaimbi) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Portuguese: defraudar — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Quechua: ch'achuy — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Romanian: frauda — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Romanian: defrauda — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Russian: обма́нывать (obmányvatʹ) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Russian: обману́ть (obmanútʹ) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Russian: моше́нничать (mošénničatʹ) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Russian: выма́нивать (vymánivatʹ) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Russian: вы́манить (výmanitʹ) — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Spanish: timar — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Spanish: defraudar — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Swedish: bedraga — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Swedish: avlura — to obtain money or property by fraud
  • Ottoman Turkish: صاغمق (sağmak) — to obtain money or property by fraud