Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [wahy-lee]
- /ˈwaɪ li/
- /ˈwaɪ.li/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [wahy-lee]
- /ˈwaɪ li/
Definitions of wily word
- adjective wily full of, marked by, or proceeding from wiles; crafty; cunning. 1
- noun wily Skilled at gaining an advantage, esp. deceitfully. 1
- adjective wily person: sly, cunning 1
- adjective wily act: devious 1
- adjective wily If you describe someone or their behaviour as wily, you mean that they are clever at achieving what they want, especially by tricking people. 0
- adjective wily characterized by or proceeding from wiles; sly or crafty 0
Information block about the term
Origin of wily
First appearance:
before 1250 One of the 11% oldest English words
Middle English word dating back to 1250-1300; See origin at wile, -y1
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Wily
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
wily popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 92% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.
wily usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for wily
adjective wily
- crafty — If you describe someone as crafty, you mean that they achieve what they want in a clever way, often by deceiving people.
- cunning — Someone who is cunning has the ability to achieve things in a clever way, often by deceiving other people.
- sly — cunning or wily: sly as a fox.
- guileful — insidiously cunning; artfully deceptive; wily.
- devious — If you describe someone as devious you do not like them because you think they are dishonest and like to keep things secret, often in a complicated way.
Antonyms for wily
adjective wily
- ingenuous — free from reserve, restraint, or dissimulation; candid; sincere.
- aboveboard — An arrangement or deal that is aboveboard is legal and is being carried out openly and honestly. A person who is aboveboard is open and honest about what they are doing.
- forthright — going straight to the point; frank; direct; outspoken: It's sometimes difficult to be forthright and not give offense.
- frank — direct and unreserved in speech; straightforward; sincere: Her criticism of my work was frank but absolutely fair.
- honest — honorable in principles, intentions, and actions; upright and fair: an honest person.
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