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
- nondeceptively adverb
- undeceptively adverb
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.
The way it works is deceptively simple: Touch your phone to the Brick, and it blocks a you-defined list of apps.
Yes, they looked prosperous and, deceptively, as if they both had their entire lives ahead of them.
From MarketWatch
Most mental health interventions start with a provider verbally asking a deceptively simple question: What are you feeling?
From Los Angeles Times
Now the “existential” climate risk bandwagon is coming to an end for the deceptively simple reason known as “running out of other people’s money.”
Activists argued that they had deceptively promoted gas and biofuels as clean energy.
From Barron's
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.
