愚弄 (yú nòng) is a verb meaning 'to deceive' or 'to fool'—often with a sense of mockery, trickery, or condescension. The first character 愚 (yú) means 'foolish' or 'stupid', and the second 弄 (nòng) means 'to handle' or 'to toy with'; together, they evoke the idea of treating someone as if they were foolish—manipulating them for amusement or advantage. It carries a distinctly negative and slightly contemptuous tone, implying the deceiver holds power or superiority over the person being fooled.

This word is commonly used in contexts involving betrayal of trust, social manipulation, or intentional misdirection—such as scams, pranks with harmful intent, or political deception. It is stronger and more judgmental than neutral synonyms like 'deceive'; it suggests not just misleading but also belittling. 愚弄 is typically transitive and requires a direct object (e.g., 愚弄别人), and it rarely appears in formal written Chinese without moral disapproval.