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# deceptively

adverb (deceptively)

«deceptively» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Deceptively means in a way that makes something seem different from what it really is: "the question looks deceptively easy" means it seems easy but is actually hard. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceptively/#m1)
2. In house adverts, "deceptively spacious" means the house is bigger inside than it looks from outside. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceptively/#m2)

### In the lessons

In maths, a "deceptively simple" problem hides a trick: read carefully. In stories, a deceptively calm sea or a deceptively kind stranger warns the reader to be careful. Phrases: deceptively simple, deceptively easy, deceptively spacious, deceptively strong.

### Examples

- The puzzle looked deceptively easy, but nobody solved it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceptively/#x1)
- The river looks deceptively calm, but the current is strong. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceptively/#x2)
- The house is deceptively spacious inside. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceptively/#x3)
- The little dog is deceptively strong. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceptively/#x4)
- It was a deceptively simple question with a trick. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceptively/#x5)
- The ice looked deceptively thick, so we stayed off it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceptively/#x6)

### Note

Trap: "deceptively" can be unclear — "deceptively small" could mean it looks small but isn't, or looks big but is small. Usually it means the truth is the opposite of how it looks. Related: deceive, deception, deceptive.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «deceptively» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/deceptively/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«deceptively» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/deceptively.html) on Mova free.