What does "cheat" mean?
An act of deception or fraud; that which is the means of fraud or deception.
Cheat
/t͡ʃiːt/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act of deception or fraud; that which is the means of fraud or deception.
- Grammar: cheat is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: deceiver, fraud, trickster, adventurer.
- Useful contrasts: authorized notes, be faithful, be honest.
- Usage evidence: You ought to be ashamed to cheat on exams.
How to use "cheat"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cheat" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cheat" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cheat" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cheat" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cheat" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "deceiver" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cheat", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act of deception or fraud; that which is the means of fraud or deception. countable
"When I consider life, 'tis all a cheat."
- 2 A sort of low-quality bread. obsolete, uncountable
"The raueled cheat therfore is generallie ſo made that out of one buſhell of meale, after two and twentie pounds of bran be ſifted and taken from it (wherevnto they ad the gurgeons that riſe from the manchet) they make thirtie cast, euerie lofe weighing eightéene ounces into the ouen and ſixteene ounces out[…]"
- 3 a deception for profit to yourself wordnet
- 4 Someone who cheats. countable
"And he smote Corinius on his shaven jowl with the dice box, calling him cheat and mangy rascal, whereupon Corinius drew forth a bodkin to smite him in the neck withal; but some went betwixt them, and with much ado and much struggling and cursing they were parted, and it being shown that the dice were not loaded, the son of Corund was fain to make amends to Corinius, and so were they set at one again."
- 5 the act of swindling by some fraudulent scheme wordnet
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 The weed cheatgrass. uncountable
- 7 someone who leads you to believe something that is not true wordnet
- 8 A card game where the goal is to have no cards remaining in a hand, often by telling lies. uncountable
- 9 weedy annual native to Europe but widely distributed as a weed especially in wheat wordnet
- 10 A hidden means of gaining an unfair advantage in a video game, often by entering a cheat code. countable
"I've had a number of requests for a cheat for Turrican the first. Yes, there is a keypress built in […]"
- 11 weedy annual grass often occurs in grainfields and other cultivated land; seeds sometimes considered poisonous wordnet
Verb
- 1 To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation. intransitive
"My brother flunked biology because he cheated on his mid-term."
- 2 defeat someone through trickery or deceit wordnet
- 3 To be unfaithful to one's spouse or partner; to commit adultery, or to engage in sexual or romantic conduct with a person other than one's partner in contravention of the rules of society or agreement in the relationship. intransitive
"My husband cheated on me with his secretary."
- 4 deprive somebody of something by deceit wordnet
- 5 To avoid a seemingly inevitable thing. transitive
"He cheated death when his car collided with a moving train."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 engage in deceitful behavior; practice trickery or fraud wordnet
- 7 To deceive; to fool; to trick. transitive
"My ex-wife cheated me out of $40,000."
- 8 be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage wordnet
- 9 To disregard self-imposed restrictions or commitments in favour of resting or indulging oneself. informal, intransitive
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
authorized notesbe faithfulbe honestdo honest work
Example
"You ought to be ashamed to cheat on exams."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cheat"?
Common synonyms include: deceiver, fraud, trickster, adventurer, ballot-box stuffing, bamboozle.
How do you use "cheat" in a sentence?
You ought to be ashamed to cheat on exams.
How do you pronounce "cheat"?
Pronounced /t͡ʃiːt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Inherited from Middle English acheten, variant of escheten, from Old French escheoiter, from the noun (see below). Displaced native Old English beswīcan.
Etymology 2
Inherited from Middle English chete, an aphetic form of eschete (“the reversion of property to the state”), from Old French eschet, escheit, escheoit (“that which falls to one”), from the past participle of escheoir (“to fall”) (modern French échoir), from Vulgar Latin *excadēre, from Latin ex- + cadere (“fall”).
Etymology 3
Inherited from Middle English chet (“low-quality bread”), of unknown origin; compare manchet.