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

The starship model and its celebrated return is now the subject of a lawsuit alleging fraud, negligence and deceptive trade practice, highlighting the enduring value of memorabilia from the iconic sci-fi TV series. —Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024

Maryland signed a new ticketing bill on Thursday that’s set to outlaw some of the live music industry’s most common deceptive ticketing practices: Hidden fees and speculative ticket listings. —Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 9 May 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