adj.
Pronunciation: ' sl ī
Function: adjective
Inflected Form: sli · er or sly · er \ ' sl ī (- ə )r \ ; sli · est or sly · est \ ' sl ī - ə st \
Etymology: Middle English sleighe, sli, from Old Norse slgr; akin to Old English sl ē an 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 : in a manner intended to avoid notice
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>.