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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.

The airline engaged in "misleading or deceptive conduct" over the rights of customers over their cancelled flights in violation of Australian law, Echo Law said.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

“I guess it’s on brand for Anthropic doublespeak to use a deceptive ad to critique theoretical deceptive ads that aren’t real,” Altman posted on X.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

I wasn’t trying to be deceptive; I think I was trying to be protective.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

The commission also said that X's breaches included the deceptive design of its "blue checkmark" for supposedly verified accounts, and its failure to provide access to public data for researchers.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

Alice was gripping the gunwales and peering as hard as she could in the deceptive light.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.