adjective
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skilled in deception; shrewd; cunning
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archaic skilful
Other Word Forms
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.
Crafty Emails drafted a Tweet with hashtags, emojis and persuasive language in the tone of a cryptocurrency fan.
From BBC • Dec. 6, 2023
Also on display at that showcase was a vegan buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese bowl, a returning item at the Crafty Mac concessions stand this year.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2023
Crafty consumers have their fingers ready during this time slot to pounce on these $3.99 to-go boxes that are sold after 8 p.m.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 21, 2022
If Boca Burger embodies the first wave of plant-based products, and Impossible the second, you can count companies like Crafty Counter, The Live Green Co. and Akua kelp burgers among the new ranks.
From Washington Post • Sep. 2, 2022
And I thought, Crafty girl almost sounds like I did when I fake-cried for Mr. Farrow.
From "Winger" by Andrew Smith
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.
