Definition

1. Noun:

   • Acting in bad faith; deception by pretending to have one set of intentions while secretly acting under the influence of another. It refers to the act of being deceitful and dishonest, often by saying one thing and doing another, or by pretending loyalty to one side while secretly helping another.

2. Adjective:

   • Marked by deliberate deceptiveness, especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another. It describes a person or behavior that is two-faced, treacherous, and involves cheating or betrayal.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The diplomat was accused of double-dealing when it was discovered he was selling secrets to both countries.
  • The company's double-dealing was exposed by a whistleblower, revealing they had made promises to regulators they never intended to keep.
  • In the world of espionage, double-dealing is a constant danger.

• Adjective:

  • He was a double-dealing informant who played both sides of the conflict.
  • We were betrayed by his double-dealing tactics.
  • The negotiations failed due to the double-dealing behavior of one party.

Advanced Usage

• The term often implies a calculated and sustained pattern of deception, rather than a single lie. It suggests a fundamental lack of integrity.
• It is commonly used in contexts of politics, espionage, business, and personal betrayal where trust is paramount and the stakes are high.

Variants and Related Words

• Double-dealer (noun): A person who engages in double-dealing; a deceitful person, a traitor.
  • He was exposed as a double-dealer.
• Double-faced (adjective): A synonym meaning deceitful, hypocritical.
• Two-faced (adjective): Insincere and deceitful.

Synonyms

• Noun: Duplicity, deceit, treachery, betrayal, chicanery, fraud.
• Adjective: Duplicitous, deceitful, two-faced, treacherous, perfidious, dishonest.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• To play a double game: To be involved in double-dealing; to deceive two opposing sides simultaneously.
  • The spy was playing a double game for years before being caught.
• To speak with a forked tongue: To lie or be deliberately deceptive. (This idiom shares the core concept of double-dealing).
  • Do not trust him; he speaks with a forked tongue.

Adjective

1. marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another
   • she was a deceitful scheming little thing- Israel Zangwill
   • a double-dealing double agent
   • a double-faced infernal traitor and schemer- W.M.Thackeray

Noun

1. acting in bad faith; deception by pretending to entertain one set of intentions while acting under the influence of another