hoodwink

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈhʊdwɪŋk/ UK /ˈhʊdwɪŋk/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to deceive or trick someone

He was hoodwinked into buying a fake painting.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to deceive or trick someone dupe mislead bamboozle con fool

More take in

Opposites

enlighten undeceive

Simplified etymology

Hoodwink originally meant to blindfold someone with a hood. Formed in the 16th century from hood and wink, it reflects the older sense of wink, “to close the eyes”; its figurative meaning “to trick or deceive” developed early in the 17th century.

Etymology

From Middle English hood ('covering for the head') + wink ('to close the eyes'); originally Early Modern English hoodwink ('to cover the eyes'), later Modern English hoodwink ('to deceive; trick').

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# hoodwink

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈhʊdwɪŋk/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈhʊdwɪŋk/

## Meanings
1. to deceive or trick someone

## Examples
- He was hoodwinked into buying a fake painting.

## Synonyms
- dupe
- mislead
- bamboozle
- con
- fool
- take in

## Antonyms
- enlighten
- undeceive

## Etymology
From Middle English hood ('covering for the head') + wink ('to close the eyes'); originally Early Modern English hoodwink ('to cover the eyes'), later Modern English hoodwink ('to deceive; trick').

## AI Etymology
Hoodwink comes from Middle English hood ('covering for the head') + wink ('to close the eyes'); originally Early Modern English hoodwink ('to cover the eyes'), later Modern English hoodwink ('to deceive; trick'). In current use it is a verb meaning "to deceive or trick someone". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The semantic development is therefore important as well as the form: the word moves from the older concrete, technical, or literal setting into the present figurative or specialized sense.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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