tricky

American  

[trik-ee] / ˈtrɪk i /

adjective

trickier, trickiest

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

   Synonyms:

   shrewd, sly, artful

2. skilled in clever tricks or dodges.

   Synonyms:

   adroit, skillful

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

   Synonyms:

   perilous, unreliable, unpredictable, doubtful

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tricky British  

/ ˈtrɪkɪ /

adjective

1. involving snags or difficulties

   a tricky job

2. needing careful and tactful handling

   a tricky situation

3. characterized by tricks; sly; wily

   a tricky dealer

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Other Word Forms

• trickily adverb
• trickiness noun

Etymology

Origin of tricky

First recorded in 1780–90; trick + -y ¹

Example Sentences

This time there were only 175 runs to get but with that ball moving around it was still tricky.

From BBC

Most of England will be cloudy overnight, and there will be patches of frost and fog which could mean "tricky travelling conditions" on Monday morning, the forecaster said.

From BBC

Smith added: "It was tricky. No one could really get in. When you see 36 wickets across two days, that's probably too much."

From Barron's

For writers, the future has long been a tricky terrain.

From Salon

The cricket was short and sharp, very tricky, heavily favoured to the bowlers, but today we went about it exactly the right way.

From Barron's

Related Words

• complex
• critical
• delicate
• intricate
• knotty
• precarious
• problematic
• risky
• rocky
• sensitive
• sticky
• thorny
• ticklish
• touchy
• unstable