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:
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
The rickety CGI not its strong suit, “Hope” never quite follows through on its crafty first hour of peekaboo velocity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
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
From the crafty ebullience of a rakshasa with a new idea into a gossipy Malayali with a scandal to spread.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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
“Tragic part is, Merv’s craftier by half than what he makes out he is. It suits Merv to act the village idiot, ’cause all the other kids expect it.”
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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
“In my opinion,” Heqet was saying in his craftiest manner, “they are going to use that room themselves, Gebu and Wenamon.”
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
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.
