adjective
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skilled in deception; shrewd; cunning
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archaic skilful
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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craftinessnoun
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uncraftinessnoun
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quasi-craftyadjective
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uncraftyadjective
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craftilyadverb
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quasi-craftilyadverb
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uncraftilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of crafty
before 900; Middle English; Old English cræftig skilled. See craft, -y 1
Explanation
If people call you crafty, they probably mean you are sly and a little deceptive. Then again, they could be saying that you are really good at knitting, beading, and turning old t-shirts into funky pillowcases. The adjective crafty comes from the Old English word cræftig, which meant “strong” or “powerful,” but the meaning of crafty these days has to do with being skilled at getting what you want through manipulation or trickery. Dickens’ Artful Dodger, the con-man from Oliver Twist, is crafty. Handmade items, and sometimes the people who make them, can also be called crafty, like your crafty sister who always makes you unique birthday gifts.
Vocabulary lists containing crafty
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This Week in Words: January 6 - 12, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
An all-rounder for the better part of her first decade in cricket, she made herself indispensable to the side with her explosive middle-order batting, crafty off-spin and sharp fielding skills.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Kevin Walker and Jack Auen direct a crafty, occult-flavored literary thriller about a professor investigating a device said to be able to see any moment in history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Its storytelling economy is just as crafty, finding splendor with humble tools, and distills Parton’s whole persona into one perfect song.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
You can also fill individual piping bags with your favorite sauces and get really crafty.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
He was crafty: dulling men’s wariness, or working on their fears, as served the occasion.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
But the French league will still have Messi, who’s a little slower but a lot more craftier.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 23, 2022
Cornerbacks typically endure miserable rookie seasons: The receivers they cover are bigger, faster and craftier than the ones they faced in college, while quarterbacks are quick to exploit their every blunder.
From New York Times ● Oct. 14, 2021
But the flipping is craftier than just that.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 5, 2019
But I wouldn't be surprised if Putin had something even craftier up his sleeve.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2018
She’d used craftier methods, like this, and gotten better results.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
If that happens, the craftiest otters may be the most prepared.
From Science Magazine ● May 15, 2024
Hardy, “The Mockingbird & the Crow” Having written every stupid-brilliant bro-country song he could, one of Nashville’s craftiest operators turns his ball cap around and goes nü-metal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2023
Since then, the Packers have rolled off four wins in a row with Rodgers back to his craftiest and most resourceful self.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 2, 2023
The point guard was at his craftiest despite shooting just four free throws, and his confidence clearly rubbed off on the rest of the young Suns.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 6, 2021
Among the delegates was a “shaggy man with an unprepossessing manner and a crooked smile,” whom American Kremlinologists identified promptly as Semyon Tsarapkin, one of Moscow’s craftiest diplomatic negotiators.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
