deceptive

[ dih-sep-tiv ]

/ dɪˈsɛp tɪv /

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See synonyms for deceptive on Thesaurus.com

adjective

apt or tending to deceive: The enemy's peaceful overtures may be deceptive.

perceptually misleading: It looks like a curved line, but it's deceptive.

OTHER WORDS FOR deceptive

1 delusive, fallacious, specious.

See synonyms for deceptive on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of deceptive

1605–15; <Medieval Latin dēceptīvus, equivalent to Latin dēcept(us) (see deception) + -īvus-ive

OTHER WORDS FROM deceptive

de·cep·tive·ly, adverbde·cep·tive·ness, nounnon·de·cep·tive, adjectivenon·de·cep·tive·ness, noun

un·de·cep·tive, adjectiveun·de·cep·tive·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use deceptive in a sentence

“Evenflo’s material misrepresentations that its booster seats are side-impact tested for safety — when its self-designed standards are so grossly inadequate — is unfair and deceptive,” the congressional investigators wrote.
Congressional Investigation Finds Many Booster Seat Makers “Endangered” Children’s Lives After Review of “Meaningless Safety Testing”|by Patricia Callahan|December 11, 2020|ProPublica
Among other alleged deceptive-trade violations, the District accused DoorDash of misrepresenting to consumers how the company would use tips.
DoorDash backs down from higher fees on D.C. restaurants after city attorney general steps in|Tim Carman|December 10, 2020|Washington Post
It’s deceptive, this seemingly innocuous change in the ocean.
The pandemic’s death toll is a tsunami anyone could see coming — if they looked|Philip Bump|December 3, 2020|Washington Post
First, don’t knowingly add any malicious scripts or deceptive content to your website.
The Google page experience: What you need to know and five steps to prepare for 2021|Gert Svaiko|December 1, 2020|Search Engine Watch

One of the signals with the upcoming page experience metric concludes if the indexed site contains any malicious or deceptive content.
The Google page experience: What you need to know and five steps to prepare for 2021|Gert Svaiko|December 1, 2020|Search Engine Watch
That the Obama administration is "trafficking in stereotypes about Jewish deceptiveness and appetite for blood."
Neo-Con Lee Smith Smears Obama Administration as Anti-Semitic|Ali Gharib|November 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But at this moment Jones discovers for the first time the deceptiveness of visual memory.
Hagel's Orwell Moment on India|David Frum|February 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A madman was capable of anything; and yet, confound the chap's deceptiveness, he didn't look mad.
The Kingdom Round the Corner|Coningsby Dawson
Independently of any skill or deceptiveness, this broken painted surface looks effective and lasts long.
British Manufacturing Industries|L. Arnoux
We have learnt to prize Him in proportion as we have learnt the deceptiveness of all beside!
Sermons|Clement Bailhache
He had moments through the night of recognizing the deceptiveness of his senses.
Aurora the Magnificent|Gertrude Hall
Here then you see the deceptiveness under the above dissembled conversation of Cain with his brother.
Commentary on Genesis, Vol. I|Martin Luther

British Dictionary definitions for deceptive

deceptive

/ (dɪˈsɛptɪv) /

adjective

likely or designed to deceive; misleadingappearances can be deceptive

music (of a cadence) another word for interrupted (def. 3)

Derived forms of deceptive

deceptively, adverbdeceptiveness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

deceptive

OTHER WORDS FOR deceptive

Origin of deceptive

OTHER WORDS FROM deceptive

Words related to deceptive

How to use deceptive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for deceptive

Derived forms of deceptive