Fraudful

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Marked by a propensity for deceit and trickery in dealings
2. Characterized by being based on deceitful practices intended to mislead others
3. Displaying behavior that involves intentional deception and dishonesty in actions or communication

Etymology: "Fraudful" is a plain formation: the noun "fraud" with the suffix "-ful", meaning "full of" or "characterized by". "Fraud" itself came into English from Old French "fraude", which in turn came from Latin "fraus", a word for deceit, trickery or harm done through deception. The Latin root survives in a range of English words, but "fraudful" stands out for how transparently it combines its parts. The adjective is recorded in Middle English, so it has been part of the language for centuries, long before "fraud" became the common legal and commercial term it is today. Its sense has stayed close to its parts: something fraudful is simply full of deceit, with the suffix doing the same work it does in "hopeful" or "sorrowful". Because the English noun "fraud" remains common, "fraudful" often reads as a slightly archaic or literary alternative to words like "deceitful" or "treacherous".

Synonyms: deceptive, dishonest, fraudulent, untruthful, misleading

Antonyms: honest, truthful, genuine, sincere, trustworthy