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wily

[ wahy-lee ]
/ ˈwaɪ li /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR wily ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, wil·i·er, wil·i·est.

full of, marked by, or proceeding from wiles; crafty; cunning.

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quick; agile; lively.
expressive of or characterized by sorrow.
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Origin of wily

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at wile, -y1

OTHER WORDS FROM wily

wil·i·ly, adverbwil·i·ness, nouno·ver·wil·y, adjectiveun·wil·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to wily

underhanded, sneaky, crooked, shrewd, cagey, scheming, shifty, sly, arch, artful, astute, cunning, deceitful, deceptive, deep, designing, foxy, greasy, insidious, intriguing

Example sentences from the Web for wily

British Dictionary definitions for wily

wily
/ (ˈwaɪlɪ) /

adjective wilier or wiliest

characterized by or proceeding from wiles; sly or crafty

Derived forms of wily

wiliness, 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