sly

[slahy]

adjective

comparative

slyer, slier ,

superlative

slyest, sliest .

1. cunning or wily.

   sly as a fox.

   Synonyms: astute, shrewd, crafty, foxy, subtle, artful
   Antonyms: obvious, direct

2. stealthy, insidious, or secret.

   Synonyms: clandestine, underhand, furtive, surreptitious

3. playfully artful, mischievous, or roguish.

   sly humor.

sly

/ slaɪ /

adjective

1. crafty; artful

   a sly dodge

2. insidious; furtive

   a sly manner

3. playfully mischievous; roguish

   sly humour

noun

1. in a secretive manner

Other Word Forms

• slyly adverb
• slyness noun
• unsly adjective
• unslyly adverb
• unslyness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sly¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English sly, sley , from Old Norse slœgr “sly, cunning” (originally “able to strike, able to slay”); slay ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of sly¹

C12: from Old Norse slǣgr clever, literally: able to strike, from slā to _slay

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on the sly, secretly;

   a tryst on the sly.

see on the sly.

Example Sentences

But Dougal’s naiveté does not preclude a sly sense of humor.

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The young trio’s minimalist arrangements evoke the clang of downtown post-punk New York, while the new collection’s sly humor and deep well of hooks helped the dissonant turns go down easily.

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Albert’s role as the outgoing governor is a sly send-up of political animals, his barely concealed ambition masked by charisma, with just enough sincerity and genuine affection for Ella to make him conflicted.

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It was a sly answer, for the man in the chair most certainly did have a child.

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Mr. Baumbach’s sly and elegant finale queues up a retrospective of Jay’s work that doubles as a highlight reel of Mr. Clooney’s.

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Related Words

• canny 
• impish 
• ingenious 
• intriguing www.thesaurus.com
• mischievous 
• roguish 
• shrewd 
• smart 
• subtle