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
Charlotte's Web
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This Week in Words: January 6 - 12, 2018
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Bright Ideas: Synonyms For "Smart"
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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:
You can also fill individual piping bags with your favorite sauces and get really crafty.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
If you’re a crafty person, which it sounds like you are, I can understand the temptation to update whatever you want with the intention of changing it back before moving out.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026
But there’s plenty of drama also in the everyday lives of flowers, their interactions with crafty insects and hungry birds, with neighbors in the meadow or the forest, with fungal networks in the ground.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
Arsenal's 11 international withdrawals - injury crisis or crafty caution?
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026
The servants stalking mosquitoes at twilight, crafty, pouncing on the window screens.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
The remaining nominees — knockouts of style and mood — are craftier evocations, digging into spaces where memories are vivid yet elusive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2024
Nearly a decade older and substantially craftier, Ms. Lash has returned to some of the same thematic territory in her new work, “Desire,” which premieres at the Miller Theater at Columbia University on Wednesday.
From New York Times ● Oct. 11, 2019
Is he just learning to pitch more craftier or should we be concerned with a potential injury or skill decline?
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 2, 2019
Woods spoke of craftier methods, the way he and Peyton Manning discussed probably around 2012, when the quarterback ailed and said he could do just six pushups, then went and won NFL MVP award.
From Washington Post ● May 14, 2019
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
She’s the craftiest operator within the Waystar Royco ranks and has survived attempts by others to have her ousted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 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
Jade is the craftiest out of all of us, which is why Mr. Chapman called her “the Artist.”
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
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.
