tricky

[trik-ee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tricky ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, trick·i·er, trick·i·est.

given to or characterized by deceitful tricks; crafty; wily.

skilled in clever tricks or dodges.

deceptive, uncertain, or difficult to deal with or handle.

Origin of tricky

First recorded in 1780–90; trick + -y¹

Related formstrick·i·ly, adverbtrick·i·ness, noun

Synonyms for tricky

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tricky ON THESAURUS.COM

1. artful, sly, shrewd. 2. skillful, adroit. 3. doubtful, unpredictable, unreliable, perilous.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tricky

Contemporary Examples of tricky

Their solidified friendship is one of the most touching details of the premiere, but it also puts Branson in a tricky predicament.
What Downton’s Fashion Really Means
Katie Baker
January 2, 2015
The power delivered by the rocket motor was uneven and tricky to control.
Virgin Galactic’s Flight Path to Disaster: A Clash of High Risk and Hyperbole
Clive Irving
November 1, 2014
It is a tricky and perilous path, but there are no realistic alternatives.
There’s Only One Way to Beat ISIS: Work With Assad and Iran
Leslie H. Gelb
October 18, 2014
What makes Islam so tricky that it trips up even the usually more discerning among us?
ISIS and BS
Amal Ghandour
October 15, 2014
Winning a game this tricky, then, is nearly impossible without a coach.
Ganjapreneurs Line Up to Get Florida High
Abby Haglage
July 30, 2014

Historical Examples of tricky

All in all, Gray Peter was a glorious machine; Sally was a tricky intelligence.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
If Tricky had lost such a chance he would not have been a monkey at all.
The Monkey That Would Not Kill
Henry Drummond
If they put him out of the room, Tricky came in by the chimney.
The Monkey That Would Not Kill
Henry Drummond
If they shut him up in a room, Tricky got out by the chimney.
The Monkey That Would Not Kill
Henry Drummond
Tricky, therefore, he was called, and as Tricky he lived and—did not die.
The Monkey That Would Not Kill
Henry Drummond

British Dictionary definitions for tricky

tricky

adjective trickier or trickiest

involving snags or difficultiesa tricky job

needing careful and tactful handlinga tricky situation

characterized by tricks; sly; wilya tricky dealer

Derived Formstrickily, adverbtrickiness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for tricky

adj.

1786, "characterized by tricks," from trick (n.) + -y (2). Meaning "deceptively difficult" is from 1868. Related: Trickily; trickiness. Earlier was tricksy (1590s).