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

On the other side of more deceptive releases are real artists, like singer and producer Natanya, whose music is distributed via Human Re Sources. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2026

The privacy risk grows when those details become part of a larger marketing profile, move through the data broker industry or reach buyers running deceptive campaigns. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026

Taco Bell has been sued at least three times in federal court this week, with plaintiffs alleging negligence, breach of warranty and violations of deceptive trade practices law for allegedly selling contaminated lettuce. — Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

The standout interlude is the soldiers’ visit to the island domain of Circe, a treacherous witch played with deceptive calm and a misleading air of distraction by a bone-chilling Samantha Morton. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 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