deceptive

adjective

de·​cep·​tive di-ˈsep-tiv 

: tending or having power to cause someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid : tending or having power to deceive

a deceptive appearance

a pitcher with a deceptive windup

deceptively adverb

deceptiveness noun

Synonyms

• beguiling
• deceitful
• deceiving
• deluding
• delusive
• delusory
• fallacious
• false
• misleading
• specious

Examples of deceptive in a Sentence

in his deceptive answer about the vehicle's history, the salesman said that the used car had never been hit by another car

a mail-order firm indicted for deceptive business practices

Recent Examples on the Web

But deceptive narrative and form are not what wreaked havoc on Catherine’s life. —Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024

See Arizona election results | Live coverage on Election Day Labor activists, on the other hand, have called the measure a deceptive sham. —Ray Stern, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024

On the eve of another chaotic election, journalists have found that highly deceptive political advertisements still run amok there, as do election-fraud conspiracy theories. —Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024

This deceptive game is the perfect illustration of modern marketing. —Drew Gerber, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see deception

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing deceptive

• looks can be deceiving/deceptive

Kids Definition

deceptive

adjective

de·​cep·​tive di-ˈsep-tiv 

: tending or having power to deceive : misleading

a deceptive appearance

deceptively adverb

deceptiveness noun

Legal Definition

deceptive

adjective

de·​cep·​tive di-ˈsep-tiv 

: tending or having capacity to deceive

deceptive trade practices

compare fraudulent, misleading