sly /slaɪ/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old Norse ; Origin: slgr ]
1 . someone who is sly cleverly deceives people in order to get what they want SYN cunning
2 . sly smile/glance/wink etc a smile, look etc that shows you know something secret:
He leaned forward with a sly smile.
3 . on the sly informal secretly, especially when you are doing something that you should not do:
They’d been seeing each other on the sly for months.
—slyly adverb
—slyness noun [uncountable]
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THESAURUS
▪ dishonest behaving in a way that is intended to deceive people, for example by lying, cheating, or stealing:
Are you accusing me of being dishonest?
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The money was acquired through dishonest means.
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People are no longer surprised to find that politicians are dishonest.
▪ corrupt using your power in a dishonest way for your own advantage – used about people in official positions:
corrupt politicians
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Law and order has broken down, and most government officials are corrupt.
▪ devious /ˈdiːviəs/ good at secretly thinking of clever plans to trick people in order to get what you want:
You have a very devious mind!
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They use all kinds of devious methods to find out your personal details.
▪ underhand British English , underhanded American English underhand methods involve secretly deceiving people in order to get what you want:
In a series of underhand moves, Browne managed to gain control of the company.
▪ sneaky doing or saying things secretly, in a way that seems wrong because it is slightly dishonest or unfair:
It was pretty sneaky when the bank charged me interest on my account without telling me.
▪ sly deliberately behaving in a way that hides what you are really thinking or doing, in a way that is slightly dishonest:
Lucy decided not to tell him where she was going. She was often a bit sly like that.
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He’s a sly old fox.
▪ unscrupulous /ʌnˈskruːpjələs, ʌnˈskruːpjʊləs/ using dishonest and unfair methods to get what you want, without caring if you harm other people:
Some unscrupulous companies try to persuade people to borrow huge sums of money.
▪ fraudulent /ˈfrɔːdjələnt, ˈfrɔːdjʊlənt $ ˈfrɒːdʒə-/ formal deliberately deceiving people in an illegal way in order to gain money or power:
You will be prosecuted if you make a fraudulent claim on your insurance policy.