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View synonyms for

deceptive

[ dih-sep-tiv ]

adjective

  1. apt or tending to deceive:

    The enemy's peaceful overtures may be deceptive.

    Synonyms: , ,

  2. perceptually misleading:

    It looks like a curved line, but it's deceptive.



deceptive

/ ɪˈɛɪ /

adjective

  1. likely or designed to deceive; misleading

    appearances can be deceptive

  2. music (of a cadence) another word for interrupted
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈپ, adverb
  • ˈپԱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ··پ· adverb
  • ··پ·Ա noun
  • ԴDz···پ adjective
  • non···پ·Ա noun
  • ܲ···پ adjective
  • un···پ·Ա noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of deceptive1

First recorded in 1605–15; from Medieval Latin ŧīܲ, equivalent to Latin ŧ(ܲ) “deceived” ( deception ) + -īܲ -ive
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The US Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit against Uber, alleging the ride hailing and delivery company engaged in deceptive billing and cancellation practices.

From

The Trump administration has claimed that "many shippers" in China "hide illicit substances and conceal the true contents of shipments sent to the US through deceptive shipping practices".

From

In addition to his first-term tariffs, Trump also filed a formal World Trade Organization case against China, alleging deceptive trade practices and intellectual property theft.

From

The key word in that clause is "all," because it was entirely deceptive.

From

Chopra was fired on Feb. 1 as director of the agency charged with protecting consumers from unfair, deceptive or abusive practices by financial companies.

From

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More About Deceptive

doesdeceptive mean?

Deceptive means intended to or tending to deceive—to lie, mislead, or otherwise hide or distort the truth.

Deceptive is typically used to describe an action or something that deceives or is intended to deceive, as in deceptive business practices.

The related noun deception refers to the act or practice of deceiving or being deceptive.

Being deceptive doesn’t just involve lying. It can consist of misrepresenting or omitting the truth or more complicated cover-ups. Anything that involves intentionally misleading someone is deceptive.

The word deceitful often means the same thing but is more likely to be used to describe a person, whereas deceptive is more commonly applied to actions and practices.

Deceptive can also be used to describe things that are naturally or innocently misleading to one’s perception (without someone doing the deceiving). This sense of the word is especially used in its adverb form—for example, something might be called deceptively small because it looks bigger than it is. The adjective deceiving means the same thing.

Example: The report was widely criticized for being deceptive by intentionally omitting crucial pieces of information.

Where doesdeceptive come from?

The first records of the word deceptive come from the early 1600s. Deceptive and related words like deception and deceive ultimately derive from the Latin verb ŧ, meaning “to ensnare” (in the literal sense of trapping someone or an animal).

Things described as deceptive include attempts to mislead or trick someone or trap them with a deceptive scheme. Being deceptive always involves deceiving someone, but it may not involve outright lying. Some forms of deception involve concealing the truth or simply omitting the truth. Just because something didn’t use a lie doesn’t it wasn’t deceptive.

Did you know ... ?

are some other forms related to deceptive?

  • deceptively (adverb)
  • deceptiveness (noun)

are some synonyms for deceptive?

are some words that share a root or word element with deceptive?

are some words that often get used in discussing deceptive?

How isdeceptive used in real life?

Deceptive and deceitful are often used to mean the same thing, but deceptive is less likely to be used to describe a person and more likely to describe an action or practice. Deceptive can be used in all kinds of contexts, though of course it is common in political discussion.

Try usingdeceptive!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of deceptive?

A. duplicitous
B . deceitful
C. descriptive
D. dishonest

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deception tabledeceptive cadence