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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.

It was the same this time, a fabulous Mouat double-takeout edging GB 5-4 ahead at that stage after a cagey opening half during which he and 2014 gold-medallist Brad Jacobs traded points.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 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

Weaver’s Katharine, the villain of the piece who steals Tess’ ingenious business idea, is as over-the-top as she is psychologically and morally cagey.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2025

I might have been slight—but I was smart and cagey.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos

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.