sly

adjective

ˈslī

slyer also slier ˈslī(-ə)r How to pronounce sly (audio)

; slyest also sliest ˈslī-əst How to pronounce sly (audio)

chiefly dialectal

: wise in practical affairs

: displaying cleverness : ingenious

: clever in concealing one's aims or ends : furtive

: lacking in straightforwardness and candor : dissembling

: lightly mischievous : roguish

a sly jest

slyly adverb

or less commonly slily

She slyly evaded the question.

slyness noun

Example Sentences

the movie pairs a sly, dissembling ex-con with an upstanding, straight-arrow cop why, you sly fellow! I had no idea you were planning my birthday party

Recent Examples on the Web When asked point blank if she is done playing Carol, the actress cracks a sly grin.

Dalton Ross, EW.com, 8 Sep. 2022 As quickly as the look came, it was replaced by a sly grin.

Mike Kerrigan, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2022 Herbie Carter joined us, a lean man with a sly grin, sunburned squint and twinkling eyes.

Howard Fishman, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2022 The sly and sinister folk horror tale centers on aging British movie star Veronica Ghent (Alice Krige), who undergoes a mastectomy and travels to a remote Scottish retreat with her young nurse (Kota Eberhardt) to recover.

Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 14 July 2022 In contradiction to Rachmaninoff’s public image as a dour spirit, his late scores have a cosmopolitan veneer and a sly, ironic tone.

Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 The success of the plissé pieces is that their ease of wear—soft synthetic fabrics, forgiving folds, and elastic waists and enveloping shapes—is balanced by a sly strangeness of silhouettes and materials.

Rachel Tashjian, Harper's BAZAAR, 9 Aug. 2022 Frequently these prose items are also full of the humorousness, the sly turnings of a speaking voice, that is absent from most of the poems.

William H. Pritchard, WSJ, 5 Aug. 2022 The actress plays Valeria Hernandez, the protagonist of this chilling body horror, with a sly, concentrated determination.

Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Aug. 2022 See More

单词	slyly
释义	sly adjective ˈslī slyer also slier ˈslī(-ə)r ; slyest also sliest ˈslī-əst 1 chiefly dialectal a : wise in practical affairs b : displaying cleverness : ingenious 2 a : clever in concealing one's aims or ends : furtive b : lacking in straightforwardness and candor : dissembling 3 : lightly mischievous : roguish a sly jest slyly adverb or less commonly slily She slyly evaded the question. slyness noun Phrases on the sly : in a manner intended to avoid notice Synonyms artful beguiling cagey cagy crafty cunning cute designing devious dodgy [chiefly British] foxy guileful scheming shrewd slick subtle tricky wily See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences the movie pairs a sly, dissembling ex-con with an upstanding, straight-arrow cop why, you sly fellow! I had no idea you were planning my birthday party Recent Examples on the Web When asked point blank if she is done playing Carol, the actress cracks a sly grin. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 8 Sep. 2022 As quickly as the look came, it was replaced by a sly grin. Mike Kerrigan, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2022 Herbie Carter joined us, a lean man with a sly grin, sunburned squint and twinkling eyes. Howard Fishman, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2022 The sly and sinister folk horror tale centers on aging British movie star Veronica Ghent (Alice Krige), who undergoes a mastectomy and travels to a remote Scottish retreat with her young nurse (Kota Eberhardt) to recover. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 14 July 2022 In contradiction to Rachmaninoff’s public image as a dour spirit, his late scores have a cosmopolitan veneer and a sly, ironic tone. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 The success of the plissé pieces is that their ease of wear—soft synthetic fabrics, forgiving folds, and elastic waists and enveloping shapes—is balanced by a sly strangeness of silhouettes and materials. Rachel Tashjian, Harper's BAZAAR, 9 Aug. 2022 Frequently these prose items are also full of the humorousness, the sly turnings of a speaking voice, that is absent from most of the poems. William H. Pritchard, WSJ, 5 Aug. 2022 The actress plays Valeria Hernandez, the protagonist of this chilling body horror, with a sly, concentrated determination. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Aug. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English sleighe, sli, from Old Norse slœgr; akin to Old English slēan to strike — more at slay First Known Use 13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Phrases Containing sly on the sly on the sly Kids Definition sly adjective ˈslī slier or slyer; sliest or slyest 1 : both clever and tricky 2 : tending to keep secrets and hide intentions 3 : mischievous sense 2 There were teachers all over the place, and any kind of fighting or taunting, above a sly pinch … was out. Lynne Reid Banks, The Indian in the Cupboard slyly adverb variants also slily as in cunningly Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance cunningly craftily archly furtively insidiously sharply artfully underhandedly cannily shiftily falsely deceitfully underhanded slickly deceptively underhand dishonestly unctuously calculatingly deviously flatteringly hypocritically affectedly pretentiously sycophantically artificially insincerely unnaturally Antonyms & Near Antonyms innocently ingenuously naively naturally naïvely sincerely simply unaffectedly guilelessly artlessly unpretentiously genuinely honestly openly truly unfeignedly freely openheartedly See More
随便看	come into someone's mind come into the world come into use come last come naturally come of age come off come off (as) come off as come off it come off second best come on come on as come on strong come on the air come on the market come on the scene come on to come one, come all come out come out against come out in favor of come out of come out of hiding come out of left field

sly

adjective

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing sly

Kids Definition

adjective

adverb