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Synonyms

crafty

American  
[kraf-tee, krahf-] / ˈkræf ti, ˈkrɑf- /

adjective

craftier, craftiest

  1. skillful in underhand or evil schemes; cunning; deceitful; sly.

    Synonyms:
    scheming, designing, tricky, wily

  2. Obsolete. skillful; ingenious; dexterous.

crafty British  
/ ˈkrɑːftɪ /

adjective

  1. skilled in deception; shrewd; cunning

  2. archaic skilful

"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

  • craftily adverb
  • craftiness noun
  • quasi-craftily adverb
  • quasi-crafty adjective
  • uncraftily adverb
  • uncraftiness noun
  • uncrafty adjective

Etymology

Origin of crafty

before 900; Middle English; Old English cræftig skilled. See craft, -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.

Arsenal's 11 international withdrawals - injury crisis or crafty caution?

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

This is the perfect time to give it to a crafty friend or neighbor.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026

Thanksgiving offers a chance to get crafty with traditional holiday staples.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

As MacGruber, a riff on the equal parts cheesy and crafty ’80s television hero MacGyver, Forte attempted to diffuse a ticking time bomb while being distracted by the possible release of the Epstein files.

From Salon • Nov. 16, 2025

Maple, in a glass bottle, collected, boiled, and shipped from one of her crafty friends in Maine or Massachusetts.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

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.