Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| engañar | /enɡaˈɲaɾ/ | |
| decebir | /deθeˈbiɾ/ /deseˈbiɾ/ |
|
| meter la yuca | /meteɾ la ʝuka/ (from spelling rules) | |
| meter el dedo | /meteɾ el dedo/ (from spelling rules) | |
| descrestar | /deskɾestaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | |
| engrupir | /enɡɾuˈpiɾ/ | |
| engatar | /enɡataɾ/ (from spelling rules) | |
| paquear | /pakeaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | |
| embaucar | /embauˈkaɾ/ | |
| embelecar | /embeleˈkaɾ/ | |
| entuturutar | /entutuɾuˈtaɾ/ | |
| entucar | /entukaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | Ecuador |
The verb engañar is the standard, neutral way to say to deceive or mislead. Other terms can add specific nuances: embaucar or embelecar imply being tricked specifically by someone's cleverness or smooth words. Engatusar is an informal way to express being sweet-talked or lured into deception. Engrupir is a colloquial term that also describes deceiving someone through charm or smooth talking.
Which one should you use?
While engañar is the neutral standard, embaucar and embelecar suggest a trick involving cleverness or smooth words. If you want to express the specific sense of being scammed or cheated, you might use the informal term timar. For a more formal context where the deception involves failing to fulfill someone's expectations, use defraudar.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Engañar is the neutral, standard choice for any situation. For formal settings, use defraudar to emphasize failing expectations. In informal settings, use timar for being scammed or engatusar for being lured by sweet talk. The term engrupir is colloquial and implies using charm to deceive.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Ecuador, the term entucar is used specifically to mean deceiving or tricking someone.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are deceiving a person, you must use the personal 'a' before the object, such as in the construction engañar a alguien.
How do you pronounce it?
/enɡaˈɲaɾ/
When do people say it?
The phrase No te dejes engañar is a common way to say "Don't let yourself be deceived" in Spanish.
Did you know?
- The colloquial phrase meter la yuca to deceive someone uses the word yuca, which was borrowed into Spanish from the Taíno language of the Caribbean.
Examples in context
- No lo engañaría por nada del mundo.Nothing would tempt me to deceive him.This sentence is useful for showing a strong refusal to deceive someone.Tatoeba #1004391 by ulymarrero, translation #36792 by CH
- No deberías engañar a tus compañeros.You shouldn't deceive your colleagues.This sentence is useful for giving advice about not deceiving colleagues.Tatoeba #1701816 by teskmon, translation #1341433 by CM
- Sami trazó un plan para engañar a su esposa.Sami hatched a plan to deceive his wife.This sentence is useful for describing a plan made to deceive a spouse.Tatoeba #7872255 by emigonza, translation #6704363 by OsoHombre
- Él me engañó con sus promesas vacías.He deceived me with his empty promises.
- No debemos engañar a nuestros clientes.We must not deceive our clients.
- El político defraudó a sus electores con sus acciones corruptas.The politician deceived his voters with his corrupt actions.
- No permitas que te defrauden con falsas promesas.Don't let them deceive you with false promises.
- Creo que me timaron con este producto falso.I think I got deceived with this fake product.
- No puedes confiar en él, siempre trata de timarnos.You can't trust him, he always tries to deceive us.
- Ella lo engatusó con sus encantos para conseguir lo que quería.She deceived him with her charms to get what she wanted.
- Intenta engatusar a todos para obtener beneficios personales.He tries to sweet-talk everyone for personal gain.
- ¡No te dejes estafar por ese vendedor!Don't let yourself be deceived by that salesperson!
- Ellos fueron estafados con un negocio falso.They were deceived with a fake business.
- No te dejes engañar por las apariencias, las cosas no siempre son lo que parecen.Don't let yourself be deceived by appearances, things are not always what they seem.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are talking about a suspicious advertisement.
- ElenaEste anuncio parece falso.This advertisement looks fake.
- JavierSí, quieren engañar a la gente.Yes, they want to deceive people.
- ElenaEs una estafa muy común.It is a very common scam.
- JavierTen cuidado, Javier, no caigas.Be careful, Javier, don't fall for it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “deceive” translations and entries engañar, decebir, meter la yuca, meter el dedo, descrestar, engrupir, engatar, paquear, embaucar, embelecar, entuturutar, entucar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries decebir, dedo, el, engañar, la, meter, yuca, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
