wily

[wahy-lee]

adjective

wilier, wiliest 

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

   Synonyms: treacherous, deceitful, foxy, tricky, designing, sly, artful
   Antonyms: open, straightforward

wily

/ ˈwaɪlɪ /

adjective

1. characterized by or proceeding from wiles; sly or crafty

Other Word Forms

• wilily adverb
• wiliness noun
• overwily adjective
• unwily adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wily¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; wile, -y ¹

Example Sentences

So, given rats have shown themselves to be wily in avoiding being caught - what would it really take to stop them?

From BBC

The recent appointment of Roig – a wily Spaniard who helped Nadal win each of his 22 Grand Slam titles - feels like a longer-term bet.

From BBC

And in the just-perverse-enough “Sanctuary” from the prior year, Qualley’s ruthless, wily dominatrix wavers between vulnerability and authority in the blink of an eye.

From Salon

But Chalamet’s irresistible charms will go a long way in tampering that distaste, especially as a wily ping pong player.

From Salon

“Parade,” which delves into antisemitism, systemic bias in our judicial system and the power of a wily demagogue to stoke atavistic hatred for self-gain, has a disconcerting timeliness.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cagey 
• crooked 
• scheming 
• shifty 
• shrewd 
• sly 
• sneaky 
• underhanded