deceptive Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective satellite causing one to believe what is not true or fail to believe what is true
    delusory.
    • deceptive calm
    • a delusory pleasure
  2. adjective satellite designed to deceive or mislead either deliberately or inadvertently
    shoddy; misleading.
    • the deceptive calm in the eye of the storm
    • deliberately deceptive packaging
    • a misleading similarity
    • statistics can be presented in ways that are misleading
    • shoddy business practices

WordNet

De*cep"tive adjective
Etymology
Cf. F. déceptif. See Deceive.
Definitions
  1. Tending to deceive; having power to mislead, or impress with false opinions; as, a deceptive countenance or appearance.
    Language altogether deceptive, and hiding the deeper reality from our eyes. Trench.

Webster 1913