wily
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of wily
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at wile, -y 1
Explanation
Did you fall for that wily door-to-door salesman's pitch? He must be very slick and tricky to have convinced you to buy a set of new tires, considering you don't have a car. How can you remember the meaning of the adjective wily? Just think about the old Warner Brothers Looney Tunes cartoons. Their aptly named cartoon character, Wile E. Coyote, got his name from a clever play on words. Wile E. is supposed to be cunning, crafty, and clever — in other words, wily. Wile E. is all those things, but unfortunately he was usually bested by that pesky roadrunner anyway. Meep. Meep.
Vocabulary lists containing wily
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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List 7
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Wily coyotes have adapted to urban life, finding city parks and golf courses to their liking.
From Slate • Sep. 5, 2025
Wily Peralta, Alex Colomé, Andres Machado and Paolo Espino stood near their lockers exchanging a few words and a few hugs.
From Washington Post • Mar. 25, 2023
Chelsea's Raheem Sterling volleyed home from five yards after Wily Boly had flicked a cross onto his own bar.
From BBC • Jan. 1, 2023
Wily and stubborn, Patrick presents the greatest obstacle to hiking.
From Washington Post • Jul. 26, 2022
The gift of a million dollars expressed confidence on the part of the Government that Wily was on the right track, that his activity was approved.
From The Great Gray Plague by Jones, Raymond F.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
