adjective
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given to evasions; artful
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furtive in character or appearance
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full of expedients; resourceful
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of shifty
Explanation
To be shifty is to be sneaky and devious. Shifty behavior is untrustworthy. Sometimes people shift around when they're nervous. That can help you remember the meaning of shifty, which describes someone who may not be literally shifting around, but they’re acting in a way that makes you think they're up to no good. Lying is shifty behavior. A fake ID is shifty. Asking a lot of questions about where money is kept is shifty too. Shifty actions and words are deceitful or suspicious. When someone acts shifty, others distrust them.
Vocabulary lists containing shifty
Norse Mythology
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Wink
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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.
I’m not saying we’re actively rooting for McIlroy to blow it, but it’s always spicy when the roller coaster creaks and the leaderboard gets shifty.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Trying to look manly and tough when your entire regime, from the top on down, consists of shifty characters with a wide range of obvious personality disorders might seem like a categorical error.
From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026
She has a knack for heightening moments and introducing characters that range from sad, weird loners to shifty and overconfident schemers.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2025
After acting a bit shifty throughout the finale, Gwen revealed she has a boyfriend.
From BBC • Dec. 26, 2024
This was typical Herdman—too shifty to figure out, and Alice didn’t even try.
From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson
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.
