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 of deceptive

• misleading
• false

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

Patrick Vereb, of Vereb Funeral Homes and Eternity Pet Memorial, was charged with eight counts of deceptive or fraudulent business practices and other felonies after he was accused of defrauding thousands of pet owners over a number of years. — Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

The Idaho Consumer Protection Act, enacted in 1971, protects consumers from false, deceptive or misleading representations, advertising, pricing and contracts. — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 2026

Some of the suits allege OpenAI violated the states’ deceptive trade practices laws. — Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2026

What Apple says about suspicious iMessages Apple says this type of deceptive messaging uses social engineering, a tactic in which scammers rely on impersonation and manipulation to persuade people to share personal information. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see deception

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing deceptive

• looks can be deceiving/deceptive

Rhymes for deceptive

• perceptive
• receptive
• contraceptive
• nociceptive
• proprioceptive

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