Hoodwinking: meaning, definitions and examples
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hoodwinking
[ ˈhʊdˌwɪŋkɪŋ ]
deception act
Hoodwinking refers to the act of deceiving or tricking someone, often by misleading them. This behavior typically involves cunning, manipulation, or clever tactics to create a false impression or belief.
Synonyms
deceive, fool, mislead, trick.
Examples of usage
- The magician's act was impressive, but it was really just hoodwinking the audience.
- He felt embarrassed after realizing that he had been hoodwinked by a clever scam.
- Hoodwinking someone into believing a lie can lead to trust issues.
- The advertisement was criticized for hoodwinking consumers with false promises.
Translations
Translations of the word "hoodwinking" in other languages:
🇵🇹 enganar
🇮🇳 धोखा देना
🇩🇪 täuschen
🇮🇩 menipu
🇺🇦 обманювати
🇵🇱 oszukiwać
🇯🇵 騙す
🇫🇷 tromper
🇪🇸 engañar
🇹🇷 kandırmak
🇰🇷 속이다
🇸🇦 خداع
🇨🇿 podvádět
🇸🇰 klamať
🇨🇳 欺骗
🇸🇮 prevarati
🇮🇸 svíkja
🇰🇿 алдау
🇬🇪 დატყუება
🇦🇿 aldatmaq
🇲🇽 engañar
Etymology
The term 'hoodwink' originates from the phrase 'to hood a person,' meaning to cover the eyes, thus preventing someone from seeing reality. Its roots can be traced back to the 16th century, where it was used in a context suggesting the act of deceiving by covering or obscuring something. The prefix 'hood' refers to a covering, while 'wink' implies closing the eyes, which symbolically indicates an act of blindness to the truth. Over time, the term evolved to specifically denote deceptive practices and trickery, especially in contexts where a person is misled without their knowledge. Today, 'hoodwink' is commonly used in discussions about scams, fraud, and misleading advertisements.
Word Frequency Rank
Ranking #39,697, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.