Standard Lemma guide

deceptive

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /dɪˈsɛp.tɪv/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛptɪv
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S EH1 P T IH0 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Likely or attempting to deceive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • deceptive practices
  • Appearances can be deceptive.
  • 1846, Richard Chenevix Trench, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord, London: John W. Parker, 2nd ed., 1847, Preliminary Essay, Chapter 2, p. 10, language altogether deceptive, and hiding the deeper reality from our eyes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: misleading

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

designed to deceive or mislead either deliberately or inadvertently

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • 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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: misleading, shoddy

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

causing one to believe what is not true or fail to believe what is true

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • deceptive calm
  • a delusory pleasure

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: delusory

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle French déceptif, from Latin dēceptīvus, from dēcipiō (“to deceive”).

Across languages

Translations

58 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: engañosu — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Asturian: engañador — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Bulgarian: измамен (izmamen) — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Bulgarian: заблуждаващ (zabluždavašt) — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Catalan: enganyós — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Chinese Mandarin: 迷惑的 (míhuò de) — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Czech: klamný — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Czech: zavádějící — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Czech: ošidný — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Czech: matoucí — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Czech: falešný — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Czech: podvodný — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Dutch: bedrieglijk — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Dutch: onoprecht — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Dutch: misleidend — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Finnish: petollinen — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Finnish: harhaanjohtava — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • French: trompeur — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • French: qui induit en erreur — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • French: illusoire — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • French: mensonger — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • French: déceptif — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Galician: enganoso — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • German: betrügerisch — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • German: irreführend — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • German: trügerisch — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Ancient Greek: ἀπατηλός (apatēlós) — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Hebrew: מטעה (mat'é) — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Hebrew: שקרי (shikrí) — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Hindi: भ्रामक (bhrāmak) — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Hungarian: megtévesztő — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Ingrian: pettelikko — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Irish: fabhtach — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Irish: cealgach — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Italian: ingannevole — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Jamaican Creole: ginnal — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Jamaican Creole: samfie — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Japanese: 欺瞞的 (gimanteki) — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Latin: fallax — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Latin: fallens — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Latin: deceptivus — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Latin: captiōsus — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Middle English: deceyvable — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Persian: نیرنگباز (neyrang-bâz) — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Portuguese: enganoso — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Portuguese: enganador — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Russian: обма́нчивый (obmánčivyj) — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Sanskrit: द्रुह्वन् (druhvan) — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Scottish Gaelic: mealltach — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Scottish Gaelic: carach — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Scottish Gaelic: cealgach — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Spanish: engañoso — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Spanish: engañador — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Spanish: delusorio — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Spanish: decebiente — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Swedish: bedräglig — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Swedish: missvisande — misleading, attempting to deceive
  • Turkish: yanıltıcı — misleading, attempting to deceive