defraud
/dɪˈfɹɔd/verb
defraud is spelled D-E-F-R-A-U-D: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,912th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, defraud means “To obtain money or property from (a person) by fraud; to swindle” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in defraud?
| Letters | 7: D-E-F-R-A-U-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 34,912th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is defraud?
Defraud appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,912th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce defraud?
- UK /dɪˈfɹɔːd/
- US /dɪˈfɹɔd/
- /dɪˈfɹɑd/
Defraud has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-defraud.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with defraud?
7 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as defraud from its last stressed vowel (/ɔd/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of defraud
- defrauds present, singular, he/she/it
- defrauding participle, present
- defrauded participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does defraud mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To obtain money or property from (a person) by fraud; to swindle.
- 2
archaicTo deprive.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Defraud in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to obtain money or property by fraud:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | escroquer, (fam) arnaquer |
| German | betrügen, erschwindeln |
| Portuguese | defraudar |
| Spanish | timar, defraudar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does defraud come from?
From Middle English defrauden, from Old French defrauder, from de- + frauder.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).