deceptively
Americanadverb
-
in a way that tends to mislead or give a false impression.
This game is played with such deceptively simple materials, yet is so interestingly complex!
Some of these harmful foods are deceptively marketed as "healthy" by giant food corporations.
-
in a way that is perceptually misleading.
If only a segment of sky is visible, the bands of Earth’s shadow and the Belt of Venus appear deceptively parallel.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of deceptively
First recorded in 1810–20; deceptive ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In this case, it wants the court to order Netflix to delete any data "deceptively collected from Texans", cease processing their data for targeted advertising and to turn auto-play off by default for children's profiles.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
Even though Monte Vista Point is deceptively chill, it is still remarkably exclusive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
For nearly a decade, journalists have wrestled with a deceptively simple question: Does covering extremists expose them or empower them?
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
"They rely on highly personalised phishing emails, automatically generated malware, and synthetic identities that appear deceptively real," he said.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
In a voice deceptively calm, I replied that he oversimplified the whole issue.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
