cheat
/ˈt͡ʃiːt/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.06 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation.
Intransitive verb
verb
To be unfaithful to one's spouse or partner; to commit adultery, or to engage in sexual or romantic conduct with a person other than one's partner in contravention of the rules of society or agreement in the relationship.
Intransitive verb
verb
To disregard self-imposed restrictions or commitments in favour of resting or indulging oneself.
Informal; Intransitive verb
Example Sentences
- "My brother flunked biology because he cheated on his mid-term."
- "My husband cheated on me with his secretary."
- "After he found out his wife cheated, he left her."
- "While the nonavoidant passive-aggressive cheats for the sexual gratification and tries to disguise his or her cheating afterwards, in contrast, the passive-aggressive avoidant cheats less for the sex than to send a message[…]"
- "He cheated death when his car collided with a moving train."
- "I feel as if I've cheated fate."
Etymology
Verb from Middle English achetan, variant of escheten, from Old French escheat, past participle of escheoir, escheoiter, from Late Latin *excadēre (“fall away, fall out”), from (Latin) ex- + cadere (“fall”). Displaced native Old English beswīcan. Noun from verb and/or Middle English chete, aphetic form of achete, escheat, eschete (“the reversion of property to the state”), from Anglo-Norman eschete and Old French eschet, escheit, escheoit (“that which falls to one”), past participle of escheoir (“to fall”) (modern French échoir), from Late Latin *excadēre (“fall away, fall out”), from (Latin) ex- + cadere (“fall”). Doublet of escheat.