Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
decennial
decennium
decent
decently
decentralize
deception
Deception Bay
deceptive
deceptively
decerebrate
decerebrate rigidity
decern
decertify
dechannelize
deci-
decibel
decide
Click to move down the list of words
Also available:

World English Dictionary
Dictionnaire Français

deceptively

de·cep·tive·ly [ di séptivlee ]


adverb 
Definition:
 
misleadingly: in a way that deceives or misleads, or is contrary to appearances
a deceptively easy task


Word Usage

Although deceptively simple almost invariably means "complex despite apparent simplicity," that is not a model from which to generalize about the meaning of deceptively. When people are asked whether, for example, a deceptively dangerous place to stand is a place that is more or less dangerous than it appears, they respond variously, with a substantial minority admitting they have no idea what deceptively is intended to convey. Sometimes context clarifies the meaning: It was a small house, but it had deceptively large rooms. Unless the context makes the meaning clear, deceptively is best avoided.

Advertisement

© 2009 Microsoft