The meaning of Deceptive

adjective

Open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning.

Usage examples:

Ambiguous phrases

adjective

Not genuine or true (used in a disapproving manner when deception has been attempted).

Usage examples:

A bogus insurance claim

verb

Act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage.

Usage examples:

She always cheats at cards

noun

A person who behaves dishonestly in order to gain an advantage.

Usage examples:

Athletes who abide by the rules are up against cheats with a distinct advantage.

adjective

Made in exact imitation of something valuable with the intention to deceive or defraud.

Usage examples:

Counterfeit £10 notes

noun

A fraudulent imitation of something else.

Usage examples:

He knew the tapes to be counterfeits

verb

Imitate fraudulently.

Usage examples:

My signature is extremely hard to counterfeit

adjective

Clever at achieving one's aims by indirect or deceitful methods.

Usage examples:

A crafty crook faked an injury to escape from prison

adjective

Skillful in argument but likely to be dishonest

Usage examples:

A crafty lawyer

adjective

Having or showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit or evasion.

Usage examples:

A cunning look came into his eyes

noun

Skill in achieving one's ends by deceit.

Usage examples:

A statesman to whom cunning had come as second nature

adjective

Skillful in planning and ready to deceive people in order to get what you want

Usage examples:

A cunning scheme, they made their way safely back through enemy territory by stealth and cunning.

adjective

Guilty of or involving deceit; deceiving or misleading others.

Usage examples:

A deceitful politician

adjective

Marked by deliberate deceptiveness

verb

Deliberately cause (someone) to believe something that is not true, especially for personal gain.

Usage examples:

I didn't intend to deceive people into thinking it was french champagne

verb

Present participle of deceive

Usage examples:

The company deceived customers by selling old computers as new ones., the sound of the door closing…

adjective

Giving a false or misleading impression.

Usage examples:

A delusive perception of opportunity for all

adjective

False

Usage examples:

I harboured the delusive hope that he would return my love.

adjective

Pulled or twisted out of shape; contorted.

Usage examples:

Then he took a few steps in her direction, his face distorted with rage.

verb

Pull or twist out of shape.

Usage examples:

A grimace distorted her mouth

adjective

Pulled into or appearing as a strange or unnatural shape

Usage examples:

His face was distorted in agony., everything looks distorted through the glass., this report gives …

adjective

Deceitful.

Usage examples:

A duplicitous philanderer

adjective

Involving duplicity

Usage examples:

A duplicitous traitor/spy/politician

adjective

Obtained, done by, or involving deception, especially criminal deception.

Usage examples:

Fraudulent share dealing

adjective

Not what it claims or pretends to be

Usage examples:

Fraudulent advertising, there’s been a rise in fraudulent insurance claims.

adjective

Intended to deceive someone, for example, to get money

Usage examples:

They thought i might try to collect insurance on a fraudulent claim., for a charge of fraudulent tr…

adjective

Having or showing sly or cunning intelligence.

Usage examples:

A supremely guileful and deceptive politician

adjective

Using cleverness in order to deceive someone or get what you want

Usage examples:

We could see that john's guileful smile and flattering talk were a disguise, and that he was really…

adjective

Not real and based on illusion (= ideas or beliefs that are not true)

Usage examples:

There is never a moment when the audience feels pulled out of the illusionary world., it may be arg…

adjective

Deceptive; illusory.

Usage examples:

An illusive haven

adjective

Based on illusion; not real.

Usage examples:

She knew the safety of her room was illusory

adjective

Not real and based on illusion

Usage examples:

Their hopes of a peaceful solution turned out to be illusory.

adjective

Giving the wrong idea or impression.

Usage examples:

Your article contains a number of misleading statements

verb

Cause (someone) to have a wrong idea or impression.

Usage examples:

Fans believed they were misled about the reasons for the cancellation

adjective

Causing someone to believe something that is not true

Usage examples:

Misleading information, a misleading story

noun

A thing that is not what it is purported to be.

Usage examples:

Our current free health service is a sham

adjective

Bogus; false.

Usage examples:

A clergyman who arranged a sham marriage

verb

Short for pillow sham.

adjective

Having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature.

Usage examples:

A sly, manipulative woman

adjective

Not letting others know true opinions or intentions, or dishonest

Usage examples:

She thought that by being sly, she could fool people., a cat can be a very sly animal., he winked s…

adjective

Superficially plausible, but actually wrong.

Usage examples:

A specious argument

adjective

Seeming to be right or true, but really wrong or false

Usage examples:

A specious distinction, his whole argument is specious.

adjective

Acting or done in a secret or dishonest way.

Usage examples:

Underhand dealings

adjective

(done) by moving the arm from back to front with the hand below shoulder level and with the inner part of the hand facing forward

Usage examples:

An underhand toss

adjective

Done secretly, and sometimes dishonestly, in order to achieve an advantage

Usage examples:

This is an underhand attempt to resume commercial whaling., insurers have been accused of using und…