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.
See Examples For:
People perceived to look honest or trustworthy are more likely to receive job offers; those we deem shifty are shunted to the social sidelines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
"Bird-watchers are tense, competitive, selfish, shifty, dishonest, distrusting, boorish, pedantic, unsentimental, arrogant and - above all, envious" he wrote.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 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
Occult pyrotechnics and bloody business of all kinds are not allowed to obscure the interior shifts of the shifty Macbeths.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2025
“Jus’ lookin’,” he said, in a shifty voice that got their interest at once.
From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
Moss’ physical straight-ahead running style is expected to complement starting running back Devin Singletary’s shiftier approach.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 25, 2020
Browning isn’t a runner in the Manziel/Watson mode, but he is much shiftier than he appears, and has shown a propensity for extending plays.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 28, 2016
John Beck was shiftier and had the nicest throw of the night, on his first pass to Anthony Armstrong.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 26, 2011
"I was a little shiftier, more erratic," Warner said.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 11, 2010
Their shiftier shapes might have held a message that in my new happiness and with a little bit of time I’d soon decipher.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
A four-star recruit from nearby Tampa and the shiftiest player on the Gators’ roster, Napier had seen enough of Wilson during fall camp to realize the true freshman could help right away.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 18, 2023
Miami traded five draft picks for Hill in March, bringing in one of the NFL’s shiftiest, speediest wideouts to ignite an offense that has flourished.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 7, 2022
So far, Lee has been Penn State’s shiftiest back.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 30, 2021
The Dodgers and Rays are among the "shiftiest" teams in the majors.
From Fox News ● May 23, 2019
He was known throughout the football world as one of the shiftiest runners of his day.
From Football Days Memories of the Game and of the Men behind the Ball by William Hanford Edwards
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
