decepción

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin dēceptiōnem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /deθebˈθjon/ [d̪e.θeβ̞ˈθjõn] (Equatorial Guinea, Spain)
• IPA^(key): /desebˈsjon/ [d̪e.seβ̞ˈsjõn] (Latin America, Philippines)

• Audio (Venezuela):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -on
• Syllabification: de‧cep‧ción

Noun

decepción f (plural decepciones)

1. disappointment, let-down

   Synonym: desengaño

2. disillusionment

   Synonym: desilusión

3. (colloquial) bummer

Usage notes

• Decepción is a false friend and does not mean deception. The Spanish word for deception is engaño.

Related terms

• decepcionar

Further reading

• “decepción”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025