What does hoodwinking mean?
Hoodwinking means deceiving or misleading someone, usually by presenting a false appearance or concealing information that would affect the other person’s judgment. It is a strongly critical term: to say that a politician hoodwinked voters suggests deliberate manipulation, while to say that a reader was hoodwinked suggests that a misleading presentation led the reader to a mistaken conclusion. The expression is commonly used in journalism, politics, advertising, and legal or business disputes. The usual patterns are “hoodwink someone” and “hoodwink someone into doing something.” As the present-participle and gerund form of “hoodwink,” it often describes an ongoing or alleged act of deception, as in “the accused denied hoodwinking the public.” The word is more pointed than “mislead” and generally implies a deliberate effort to deceive.
verbTo deceive or trick someone, especially by misrepresenting the truth or concealing important information.
- To deceive or trick someone, especially by misrepresenting the truth or concealing important information.
"The advertisement hoodwinked consumers into believing that the product was made from entirely natural ingredients."
"The company was accused of hoodwinking investors about the true state of its finances."
"She felt that the vague wording had hoodwinked readers into accepting a misleading account."
To hoodwink someone is to hide the truth behind a convincing disguise.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hoodwinking come from?
The word is formed from “hood” and “wink,” and historically referred to covering or blinding a person’s eyes. Its modern sense of deception developed from the idea of preventing someone from seeing what was really happening, and the verb was in use in English by the early 17th century. The related noun “hoodwink” also means a deception or act of trickery. The word shares its elements with “hood” and “wink,” while “bewinkered” reflects the same older “wink” element in the sense of covering or closing the eyes.
Related word forms
How hoodwinking is actually used
Usually transitive and strongly critical: “hoodwink someone” or “hoodwink someone into doing something.” The noun “hoodwink” is also established, meaning deception or a trick. The gerund “hoodwinking” is less common in formal writing than the base form “hoodwink.”
Easily confused with hoodwinking
“Hoodwink” is the base verb; “hoodwinking” is its present-participle and gerund form, as in “He was accused of hoodwinking the public.”