Standard Lemma guide

double-dealing

adj · noun · 4 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

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  • /ˌdʌbəlˈdiːlɪŋ/

1

adj

Meaning 1

Cheating, dishonest; treacherous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • You low-down, no-good, double-dealing sidewinder!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: double-crossing, double-faced, double-hearted, beguiling, deceitful, deceptious, deceptive, deceptory, fallacious, fraudful, fraudulent, mendacious, booky, dastardly, disleal, disloyal, double-dealing, doublehearted, faithless, false, falseheart, false-hearted, guiled, guileful, hollow-hearted, illoyal, infidelitous, insidious, Judaslike, Judasly, nonfaithful, perfidious, proditorious, proditory, Punic, ratlike, recreant, renegade, reptilian, reptitious, swike, traitorish, traitorlike, traitorly, traitorous, traitorsome, treacherous, treachersome, trothless, unfaithful, unleal, unloyal, unsteadfast, untrue, viperish, viperous

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

deceit or treachery

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: perfidiousness, treacherousness, betrayal, breach of promise, breach of trust, double-dealing, Judas kiss, perfidy, prodition, Punic faith, stab in the back, swike, tergiversation, traitory, treachery, treason

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another- Israel Zangwill- W.M.Thackeray

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she was a deceitful scheming little thing
  • a double-dealing double agent
  • a double-faced infernal traitor and schemer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ambidextrous, deceitful, duplicitous, Janus-faced, two-faced, double-faced, double-tongued

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

acting in bad faith; deception by pretending to entertain one set of intentions while acting under the influence of another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: duplicity

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: deception, deceit, dissembling, dissimulation

History

Etymology

From the practice of dealing oneself multiple cards in order to gain an advantage in a game.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: двуличен (dvuličen) — cheating, dishonest
  • Finnish: petollinen — cheating, dishonest
  • Finnish: kaksinaamainen — cheating, dishonest
  • Russian: двули́чный (dvulíčnyj) — cheating, dishonest
  • Bulgarian: двуличие (dvuličie) — deceit or treachery
  • Bulgarian: измама (izmama) — deceit or treachery
  • Danish: dobbeltspil — deceit or treachery
  • Danish: falskhed — deceit or treachery
  • Faroese: óreinheit — deceit or treachery
  • Finnish: petos — deceit or treachery
  • Finnish: huijaus — deceit or treachery
  • Finnish: kaksinaamaisuus — deceit or treachery
  • Finnish: kierous — deceit or treachery
  • Icelandic: tvöfeldni — deceit or treachery
  • Italian: doppiezza — deceit or treachery
  • Norwegian Bokmål: dobbeltspill — deceit or treachery
  • Norwegian Bokmål: falskhet — deceit or treachery
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: dobbeltspel — deceit or treachery
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: hyklarskap — deceit or treachery
  • Russian: двули́чность (dvulíčnostʹ) — deceit or treachery
  • Russian: двуру́шничество (dvurúšničestvo) — deceit or treachery
  • Russian: двули́чие (dvulíčije) — deceit or treachery
  • Swedish: dubbelspel — deceit or treachery
  • Swedish: falskhet — deceit or treachery