adjective
sly
sleye
adjective
1
Cleverly deceptive or secretive, often in a mischievous way.
"She gave a sly smile before revealing the surprise."
"The fox is often portrayed as a sly, cunning creature in folk tales."
How to Use Sly
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishClever in a sneaky or scheming way.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
sly grin
sly fox
on the sly
Word Forms
slier comparative, slyer comparative, sliest superlative, slyest superlative
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Etymology
From Old Norse "slœgr," meaning cunning or crafty, literally "capable of striking" — related to the English word "sleight," as in "sleight of hand."
Related Words
Rhymes for sly
measly
grisly
grossly
famously
anxiously
seriously
obviously
curiously
expressly
furiously
nervously
aimlessly
See all rhymes for sly →