verb

cheat

Translation

to cheat, to deceive, to be unfaithful

He always cheats at cards.

The company cheated its customers.

She cheated on her husband.

((at sth.)) to act dishonestly in a game or test He was caught cheating at cards.

((sb.)) to deceive or trick (sb.) They cheated the old man out of his money.

((on sb.)) to be unfaithful to a partner He found out she was cheating on him.

Synonyms: deceive, trick, swindle, betray; Antonyms: be honest, be faithful

From Old French 'escheter', meaning 'to seize property'. The sense evolved to 'deprive of property by fraud'.

Imagine a cheetah that's so fast it seems to be 'cheating' in a race against other animals.