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Definition of deceptive adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

deceptive

adjective
 
/dɪˈseptɪv/
 
/dɪˈseptɪv/
Word Family
  • deceive verb
  • deceit noun
  • deceitful adjective
  • deception noun
  • deceptive adjective
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  1. likely to make you believe something that is not true synonym misleading
    • a deceptive advertisement
    • Appearances can often be deceptive (= things are not always what they seem to be).
    • the deceptive simplicity of her writing style (= it seems simple but is not really)
    • The firm was found guilty of publishing a misleading and deceptive advertisement.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    adverb
    • highly
    • very
    • dangerously
    phrases
    • can be deceptive
    See full entry
    Word Originearly 17th cent.: from Old French deceptif, -ive or late Latin deceptivus, from decept- ‘deceived’, from decipere ‘to deceive’.
See deceptive in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee deceptive in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
hat-trick
noun
 
 
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