Synonyms

deceptively

American

[dih-sep-tiv-lee] / dɪˈsɛp tɪv li /

adverb

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.

Drawing on contemporary color standards and systems such as Munsell’s, he set out to do something deceptively difficult: translate the scientific lexicon into terms everyday readers could understand.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Marc by Sofia” is a deceptively heartwarming ode to self-expression, and the kind of life that can be cobbled together with an unyielding commitment to individuality.

From Salon

They agree to attach their names to “How’s That?!” to lend it legitimacy, and are virtually powerless to affect the plots generated by a program their network has deceptively nicknamed Al.

From Salon

"They rely on highly personalised phishing emails, automatically generated malware, and synthetic identities that appear deceptively real," he said.

From Barron's

“Her ability to deceptively influence others, whether in person or online, has now come to an end. Our office is committed to holding accountable anyone who uses deception and manipulation to prey on others.”

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023