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Synonyms

cagey

American  
[key-jee] / ˈkeɪ dʒi /
Also cagy

adjective

cagier, cagiest

  1. cautious, wary, or shrewd.

    a cagey reply to the probing question.
    Synonyms:
    chary, leery, prudent, careful
    Antonyms:
    forthright, open
cagey British  
/ ˈkeɪdʒɪ /

adjective

  1. informal not open or frank; cautious; wary

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • cageyness noun
  • cagily adverb
  • caginess noun

Etymology

Origin of cagey

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; cage + -y 1

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.

Prior to that announcement, though, Weisz is cagey about the film.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

They went with serve and the seventh game was another tussle, Sabalenka holding for 4-3 after the best rally of a cagey affair.

From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026

On the near-term future, Mr. Trump was cagey.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 3, 2026

Pusser, though, was extremely cagey about who these “real killers” actually were:

From Slate • Nov. 6, 2025

I was dealing with cagey people and I would be cagey.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.