Trojan horse

7 synonyms for Trojan horse, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A program that looks harmless or useful but secretly damages a computer or gives an attacker access to it once it is installed.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

trojan malware

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

backdoor ruse subterfuge ploy wolf in sheep's clothing

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A program that looks harmless or useful but secretly damages a computer or gives an attacker access to it once it is installed.

“The free video converter turned out to be a Trojan horse that logged every password he typed.”

trojan malware backdoor

2. noun

A person, thing or plan that hides a harmful purpose behind an attractive or innocent appearance.

“Critics called the tax break a Trojan horse for dismantling the whole welfare system.”

ruse subterfuge ploy wolf in sheep's clothing

How to use Trojan horse

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

banking Trojan Trojan horse attack a Trojan horse for act as a Trojan horse

Neutral in computing; in politics and business it is an accusation and carries a strongly negative tone.

Etymology

From the Greek legend of the Trojan War, in which Greek soldiers hid inside a large wooden horse to get inside the walls of Troy.

Full origin of Trojan horse →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a Trojan horse and a virus?

A virus copies itself and spreads from file to file or machine to machine on its own. A Trojan horse does not self-replicate; it relies on the user willingly installing it because it appears to be something desirable. Many real infections combine both behaviours.

Where does the phrase Trojan horse come from?

It comes from the ancient Greek story of the siege of Troy, in which the Greeks pretended to sail away and left a giant wooden horse behind. The Trojans dragged it inside the walls, and the soldiers hidden within opened the gates at night.

Is 'Trojan horse' capitalised?

The first word usually is, because it refers to the city of Troy. In computing, the shortened form is very often written in lower case as 'a trojan'.

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malware trojan ploy ruse subterfuge

Nearby words

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