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

The Federal Trade Commission has made clear that businesses cannot use fake reviews, undisclosed endorsements or deceptive practices to gain a competitive advantage. — Brian Taylor, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

In the lawsuit, the states note more than 100 statements by people at Meta that were potentially deceptive. — John Ruwitch, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026

Trump filed the lawsuit in December seeking $10 billion in damages from the BBC, accusing it of defamation as well as deceptive and unfair trade practices. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026

But critics argue that many of these ads are purposefully created to be deceptive — especially deepfakes that seek to use someone else’s likeness and put words in their mouth. — Grace Hase, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 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