tromper
deceive · mistake · cheat · be mistaken
C’est faire croire quelque chose de faux à quelqu’un ou ne pas être fidèle à une personne.
Definition & meaning
Tromper is a French verb with several related meanings:
- To deceive, mislead, or trick someone: to make someone believe something false or act on incorrect information.
- To cheat on a partner: to be unfaithful in a romantic relationship.
- To outwit or evade: to get around someone or something, often by using cleverness.
- In the reflexive form, se tromper means to be mistaken, to get something wrong, or to choose incorrectly.
- In figurative expressions, it can mean to distract oneself or to pass the time, for example by keeping busy while waiting.
Grammar & Word origin
Tromper is a regular first-group verb ending in -er. Its stem is tromp-, and -er marks the infinitive. It is usually transitive when it means “deceive” or “cheat on,” taking a direct object. The reflexive form is se tromper.
The verb is found in Old French, but its deeper etymology is uncertain.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms depend on the meaning:
- duper — to trick or deceive someone, often by making them look gullible.
- berner — to fool or take someone in; often implies a practical joke or a con.
- induire en erreur — to mislead, especially by causing someone to reach a wrong conclusion; more formal.
- être infidèle — to be unfaithful in a relationship; specific to the romantic sense.
- se méprendre — to misunderstand or be mistaken; close to the reflexive sense of se tromper .
There is no single antonym for every sense:
- dire la vérité — “to tell the truth,” the opposite of deceiving someone.
- détromper — to correct someone’s mistaken belief.
- être fidèle — “to be faithful,” the opposite of cheating on a partner.
Common phrases & collocations
- tromper quelqu’un — to deceive someone.
- tromper son conjoint — to cheat on one’s spouse or partner.
- se tromper de chemin — to take the wrong road.
- se tromper de numéro — to dial or give the wrong number.
- tromper l’ennui — to distract oneself from boredom.
- tromper l’attente — to pass the time while waiting.
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Examples
On ne doit jamais tromper ses amis.verb
One must never deceive their friends.
On peut se tromper parfois.verb
One can be mistaken sometimes.
Parfois, on peut tromper quelqu'un sans le vouloir.verb
Sometimes, one can deceive someone without meaning to.
Pourquoi crois-tu qu’il m’a trompée sans aucune raison ?verb
Why do you think he cheated on me for no reason?
Elle prétendait ne jamais vouloir tromper personne, mais elle l’a fait quand même.verb
She claimed she never wanted to deceive anyone, but she did it anyway.
En vérifiant les chiffres, j'ai réalisé que je m'étais lourdement trompé dans mes calculs.verb
While checking the figures, I realized that I had been seriously mistaken in my calculations.
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