Meaning & use
deceptive
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Giving a false impression, so that something seems different from how it really is.
Grammar: Can follow be or come before a noun: appearances are deceptive, a deceptive calm.
Patterns
- deceptive appearance
- be deceptive about something
The calm surface of the lake is deceptive; the currents underneath are strong.
The small house looks deceptive from the street, because it is huge inside.
The slope looks gentle, but it is deceptive and quite steep.
adjectivebefore a noun
Meant to trick people into believing something untrue.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun for dishonest practices: deceptive advertising.
Patterns
- deceptive practice
- deceptive advertising
The company was fined for deceptive advertising.
The email used a deceptive subject line to get people to click.
Regulators banned the deceptive pricing scheme.
Word forms
| comparative | more deceptive |
|---|---|
| superlative | most deceptive |
Common combinations
- deceptive appearance
- Her friendly smile was a deceptive appearance hiding her anger.
- deceptively simple
- The recipe looks deceptively simple but needs careful timing.
- deceptive advertising
- Deceptive advertising can lead to heavy fines.
- deceptive calm
- A deceptive calm settled over the village before the storm.
- deceptive practices
- The agency investigates deceptive practices in online shops.
Synonyms and how they differ
- misleading
- Misleading often focuses on the effect, leaving a wrong idea, while deceptive can also suggest a hidden, intended trick.
- illusory
- Illusory is more formal and describes something that is not real, as an illusion would be.
- dishonest
- Dishonest always blames a person for lying, whereas deceptive can describe a thing that fools you by accident.
- false
- False just says something is untrue, without the idea of seeming to be real.
Opposites
Word family
- deceive verb
- to make someone believe something that is not true
- deception noun
- the act of tricking someone
- deceptively adverb
- in a way that gives a false impression
- deceit noun
- dishonest behavior meant to mislead
Commonly confused: deceptive or deceptive vs. receptive? deceptive or deceitful?
deceptive vs deceptive vs. receptive
Receptive means open to new ideas, while deceptive means giving a false impression.
deceptive vs deceitful
Deceitful describes a person who lies and misleads on purpose, while deceptive often describes appearances or situations.
Practice
The path looked short on the map, but the distance was ___; it took three hours.
Choose one answer.
Deceptive means giving a false impression, which fits a path that looks short but is not. Accurate and obvious contradict the situation, and receptive is a different word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “deceptive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.