Definitions

deceptive

[dih-sep-tiv] / dɪˈsɛp tɪv /

ADJECTIVE

dishonest

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ambiguous deceitful disingenuous false fraudulent misleading slick sneaky subtle tricky underhanded unreliable

WEAK

astucious beguiling bum catchy crafty cunning deceiving deluding delusive delusory designing fake fallacious fishy foxy illusory imposturous indirect insidious lying mock oblique off phony plausible rascal roguish scheming seeming serpentine shifty slippery sly snide specious spurious treacherous two-faced underhand wily

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aboveboard forthright frank genuine honest open real reliable sincere true trustworthy truthful valid

WEAK

upright

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

You could fit four Central Parks inside Griffith Park, but its massiveness can give a deceptive sense of how much park space the city actually has, spread throughout its confines.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

But as the poll notes, the latter number is deceptive.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

“While JetBlue is now claiming the post was an ‘error,’ their only mistake was pulling back the curtain on their own deceptive pricing practices.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

Claude maker Anthropic attacked the company’s ads test in ChatGPT with a Super Bowl commercial that Altman called “funny” but deceptive.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

I see now what I saw then, flashing by with the swift, deceptive ease of an accident: shower of gravel, windmilling arms, a hand that claws at a branch and misses.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Vocabulary lists containing deceptive

Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"

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Essential English Vocabulary, List 2

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Red Kayak

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