deceptively
UK[dɪˈsɛptɪvli]US[dɪˈsɛptɪvli]
adv
In a way that is likely to make someone believe something that is not true; misleadingly.
adv
In a way that gives a misleading impression, often suggesting the opposite of the truth (as in "deceptively simple").
Morpheme Breakdown
decept
ive
ly
decept
to deceive
ive
adjective suffix
ly
adverb suffix
Etymology
The word 'deceptively' is built upon the Latin verb decipere, meaning 'to take down, ensnare, or cheat', which itself is composed of de- (from, down) and capere (to take). The core concept is of taking something away through trickery. The past participle stem decept- formed the basis for the English adjective 'deceptive', meaning 'apt to deceive'. The adverbial suffix '-ly', of Germanic origin, was then added to create the modern adverb. Thus, the literal progression is from the act of taking by deceit, to the quality of being misleading, and finally to the manner in which that quality is expressed.
Analysis
Structure: decept (to deceive) + ive (adjective suffix) + ly (adverb suffix)
- decept: From Latin decept-, the past participle stem of decipere meaning 'to deceive, ensnare, cheat'.
- ive: A suffix of Latin origin (-ivus) used to form adjectives meaning 'having the nature or quality of'.
- ly: A suffix of Old English origin (-lice) used to form adverbs from adjectives.
Examples
The room was deceptively spacious, looking small from the outside.
The task proved deceptively difficult, taking much longer than we had anticipated.
The dessert was deceptively light, despite its rich appearance.