Befool
Full definition of befool
Verb
- (transitive, archaic) To make a fool out of (someone); to fool, trick, or deceive (someone).
- 1853, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Newcomes, ch. 40:Flattery is their nature—to coax, flatter and sweetly befool some one is every woman's business.
- 1901, Andrew Lang, "The Fairy of the Dawn" in The Violet Fairy Book:But above all beware never to look the Fairy of the Dawn in the face, for she has eyes that will bewitch you, and glances that will befool you.
- 2009 July 13, "BJP workers stage protest after leader dies in hospital," TImes of India (retrieved 29 May 2013)They alleged Dr Sidhu had no specialization in reducing weight and was only befooling innocent people.
Usage notes
Although archaic in Western countries, this verb is still current in the English of South Asia.