transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈslī ]
adjective
( sli·er or sly·er ˈslī(-ə)r ; sli·est or sly·est ˈslī-əst)
Etymology: Middle English sleighe, sli, from Old Norse slœgr; akin to Old English slēan to strike — more at slay
Date: 13th century
1. chiefly dialect
a. : wise in practical affairs
b. : displaying cleverness : ingenious
2.
a. : clever in concealing one's aims or ends : furtive
the sly fox
b. : lacking in straightforwardness and candor : dissembling
a sly scheme
3. : lightly mischievous : roguish
a sly jest
a sly smile
• sly·ly also sli·ly adverb
• sly·ness noun
•
- on the sly
Synonyms:
sly , cunning , crafty , wily , tricky , foxy , artful , slick mean attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means. sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods
a sly corporate raider
cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing
the cunning fox avoided the trap
crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method
a crafty lefthander
wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering
the wily fugitive escaped the posse
tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering
a tricky political operative
foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing
a foxy publicity man planting stories
artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness
elicited the information by artful questioning
slick emphasizes smoothness and guile
slick operators selling time-sharing