wily

[wahy-lee]

adjective

wilier, wiliest 

1. full of, marked by, or proceeding from wiles; crafty; cunning.

   Synonyms: treacherous, deceitful, foxy, tricky, designing, sly, artful
   Antonyms: open, straightforward

wily

/ ˈwaɪlɪ /

adjective

1. characterized by or proceeding from wiles; sly or crafty

Other Word Forms

• wiliness noun
• wilily adverb
• overwily adjective
• unwily adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wily¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; wile, -y ¹

Example Sentences

She favors installing parental controls, even though wily children can outwit them, on grounds that some thwarting is better than none at all.

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So, given rats have shown themselves to be wily in avoiding being caught - what would it really take to stop them?

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The recent appointment of Roig – a wily Spaniard who helped Nadal win each of his 22 Grand Slam titles - feels like a longer-term bet.

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And in the just-perverse-enough “Sanctuary” from the prior year, Qualley’s ruthless, wily dominatrix wavers between vulnerability and authority in the blink of an eye.

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But Chalamet’s irresistible charms will go a long way in tampering that distaste, especially as a wily ping pong player.

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Related Words

• cagey 
• crooked 
• scheming 
• shifty 
• shrewd 
• sly 
• sneaky 
• underhanded