deceptively

[ dih-sep-tiv-lee ]

adverb

1. in a way that tends to mislead or give a false impression:

   This game is played with such deceptively simple materials, yet is so interestingly complex!

   Some of these harmful foods are deceptively marketed as "healthy" by giant food corporations.

2. in a way that is perceptually misleading:

   If only a segment of sky is visible, the bands of Earth’s shadow and the Belt of Venus appear deceptively parallel.

Other Words From

• non·de·cep·tive·ly adverb
• un·de·cep·tive·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of deceptively¹

First recorded in 1810–20; deceptive ( def ) + -ly ( def )

Example Sentences

Watson and Williams, respectively aggressive and deceptively passive, attack their roles with commitment.

From Los Angeles Times

In the lawsuit, his attorneys claimed that CBS deceptively edited the vice president's "word salad" to harm Trump's election chances.

From Salon

This graph is deceptively insightful, and once you understand what it means, you might come to share their confidence as well.

From Salon

Hull says she will rely on her caddie Adam Woodward to give her instructions on "tight lines" to combat the discomfiting influences of the Old Course's often deceptively wide open views.

From BBC

So much of this psychologically complex movie’s artistry is wonderfully assured, from cinematographer Wilson Cameron’s textured intimacy with nature and faces, to the tenderly applied, deceptively varied music.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ably
• adroitly
• artfully
• carefully
• cleverly
• coolly
• deftly
• deliberately
• intelligently
• judiciously
• keenly
• knowingly
• skillfully
• slyly
• smartly