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.
If you describe someone as sly, you disapprove of them because they keep their feelings or intentions hidden and are clever at deceiving people.
SLY definition: 1. deceiving people in a clever way in order to get what you want: 2. seeming to know secrets: 3…. Learn more.
Definition of sly adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Define sly. sly synonyms, sly pronunciation, sly translation, English dictionary definition of sly. adj. sli er , sli est also sly er or sly est 1. Clever or cunning, especially in the practice of deceit. 2. Stealthy or surreptitious: took a sly look at...
There are 15 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word sly, four of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
sly, adj., adv., & n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English ...
Cunning, crafty, or deceitful in a subtle or sneaky manner. "His sly remark revealed his true intentions behind the seemingly innocent conversation." It suggests a cleverness or shrewdness used to achieve personal gain or manipulate situations without drawing attention or arousing suspicion.