I'm not sure if this is a duplicate question, but I couldn't find anything on here on the topic. I can't seem to figure out what is actually meant when using the word "deceptive," or rather, what is the proper way to use it.
Example: "The floor is deceptively flat."
Do you mean that the floor is flatter than it looks, or it looks flatter than it is?
I know that's not a really good example, but I'm struggling to think of a better one now, however I think it serves to illustrate what I mean. There are many cases that I've felt that the word deceptive is used… interchangeably, if you will.
How about this: "He's deceptively strong." I think most would agree here that it means the person being referred to is stronger than he appears. But then what about this: "He looks deceptively strong."
I realize also that I may be finicky or am talking here more about semantics than anything else, but I really would appreciate it if someone could set the record straight for me. It's something that's been bothering me for ages and I can never seem to find 100% clarity on the matter.
I can't seem to find an official definition on the web either for which way around it should be. The common opinion seems to be that you should infer its meaning from the context it's being used in, which is fair most of the time, but there have been cases that I've come across where it is used and I find myself wondering which way around the person using it, meant it.
Any help?
Best Answer
In theory, this should be easy. Drop "deceptively" and you have the essential quality of the subject:
"The floor is deceptively flat" → The floor is flat.
"He's deceptively strong" → He is strong.
"He looks deceptively strong" → He looks strong.
Now add "deceptively" back in to indicate how the observer has been deceived:
"The floor is deceptively flat" → The floor is flat (but appears otherwise).
"He's deceptively strong" → He is strong (but appears otherwise).
"He looks deceptively strong" → He looks strong (but is otherwise).
The difference between #2 and #3 is the difference between "looks" and "is." This has the effect of flipping the comparison around: in #2, you are deceived about how he is, and in #3 you are deceived about how he looks.
In theory, it's easy. In practice, you're just as likely to find the word used to exactly the opposite effect, so in most cases you should assume you're going to need to get the meaning from context. I'd recommend staying away from "deceptively" entirely when writing: "The floor is flatter than it looks."