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 agency said undisclosed collection or use of personal information to personalize prices could violate the FTC Act’s prohibition on unfair or deceptive practices. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2026

The Brennan Center for Justice tested ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Claude, Perplexity and DeepSeek for their willingness to facilitate deceptive content. — Julia Boorstin, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026

Brazilian composer Antônio Carlos Jobim made a mark in American culture with music of deceptive simplicity. — Fernando Gonzalez, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026

The weather isn't going to present many scoring opportunities, and even the 6-0 score is deceptive about how this game is going. — AJC.com, 1 Nov. 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