ruse

Meaning

Noun

1. (archaic, countable, often, rare) A turning or doubling back, especially of animals to get out of the way of hunting dogs.
2. (broadly, countable) An action intended to deceive; a trick.
3. (uncountable) Cunning, guile, trickery.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To deceive or trick using a ruse.
2. (archaic, intransitive, rare) Of an animal: to turn or double back to elude hunters or their hunting dogs.

Synonyms

trick

artifice

stratagem

wile

ploy

cunning

craftiness

wiles

device

deception

dodge

contrivance

maneuver

slyness

gimmick

catch

feint

trap

🪤

cunningness

subterfuge

wiliness

jugglery

knack

make-believe

manoeuvre

mischief

pitfall

plot

prank

quirk

ruff

scheme

seek

🔍

shrewd

shrewdness

sleight

snag

squiggle

storyline

strategy

stunt

swindles

tactics

tease

trickery

tricks

wangle

plot line

deception tactics

management

Translations

ruse

list

stratagemma

Kniff

stratagème

slimmigheid

List

astucia

estratagema

ardid

artimaña

🪤

feinte

truque

trucco

pizzicotto

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɹuːz/

Etymology

Cognate with Middle French: ruser

In summary

From Middle English rūse (“evasive movements of a pursued animal; circuitous course taken by a hunter to pursue a game animal”), from Old French rëuse, ruse (“evasive movements of a pursued animal; trickery”) (modern French ruse (“trick, ruse; cunning, guile”)), from ruser (“to use cunning, to be crafty, beguile”), possibly from Latin rursus (“backward; on the contrary; again, in return”) or Latin recūsāre, from recūsō (“to decline, refuse; to object to, protest, reject”). Doublet of recuse and rouse in the latter case.
The verb is derived from the noun. Compare Middle French ruser (“to use cunning, to be crafty, beguile”); see further above.