wily

[wahy-lee]

See more synonyms for wily on Thesaurus.com

adjective, wil·i·er, wil·i·est.

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

Origin of wily

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

Related formswil·i·ly, adverbwil·i·ness, nouno·ver·wil·y, adjectiveun·wil·y, adjective

Synonyms

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artful, sly, designing, intriguing, tricky, foxy, deceitful, treacherous.

Antonyms

straightforward, open.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for wily

Contemporary Examples

As wily as his character when asked about it, Sheen proved himself to be a master of the media, feinting with a good sound bite.
Michael Sheen’s Masterful Study of Sex and Insecurity
Caryn James
September 28, 2014
Rick Wilson, a top Florida GOP political consultant, describes Rivera as “a wily character ... [who has] run out of tricks.”
Former Congressman May Be Future Convict
Ben Jacobs
August 20, 2014
He was wily and stylish enough to walk around the field scoring off defenders young enough to be his children.
Why Americans Should Love the World Cup
Sean Wilsey
June 12, 2014
The distorted image of the wily Jesuit is unlikely to disappear.
Thank God Pope Francis Is a Jesuit
Jonathan Wright
March 16, 2013
They were wily, changing their car tags along the road and possibly tossing their cell phones.
Fugitive Stripper’s Wild Ride
Lynn Waddell
August 11, 2011

Historical Examples

I roused my energies, and the next time the wily Beadle summoned me, I went.
The Uncommercial Traveller
Charles Dickens
The stratagem of the wily savage was thus perfectly successful.
King Philip
John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot) Abbott
It was a time for confidences, and the wily Mrs. Dunn realized that fact.
Cap'n Warren's Wards
Joseph C. Lincoln
In marrying Ben Aboo, the wily Katrina imposed two conditions.
The Scapegoat
Hall Caine
It was a wily trap he had set me, worthy only of a trickster.
Bardelys the Magnificent
Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for wily

wily

adjective wilier or wiliest

characterized by or proceeding from wiles; sly or crafty

Derived Formswiliness, 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 wily

adj.

c.1300, from wile + -ly (1). Related: Wiliness.

wily

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}wily

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for wily

Contemporary Examples

As wily as his character when asked about it, Sheen proved himself to be a master of the media, feinting with a good sound bite.

Rick Wilson, a top Florida GOP political consultant, describes Rivera as “a wily character ... [who has] run out of tricks.”

He was wily and stylish enough to walk around the field scoring off defenders young enough to be his children.

The distorted image of the wily Jesuit is unlikely to disappear.

They were wily, changing their car tags along the road and possibly tossing their cell phones.

Historical Examples

I roused my energies, and the next time the wily Beadle summoned me, I went.

The stratagem of the wily savage was thus perfectly successful.

It was a time for confidences, and the wily Mrs. Dunn realized that fact.

In marrying Ben Aboo, the wily Katrina imposed two conditions.

It was a wily trap he had set me, worthy only of a trickster.

wily

Word Origin and History for wily

adj.

Origin of wily