All sly synonyms
sly
S s adj sly
- guileful β insidiously cunning; artfully deceptive; wily.
- in the know β to perceive or understand as fact or truth; to apprehend clearly and with certainty: I know the situation fully.
- cunning β Someone who is cunning has the ability to achieve things in a clever way, often by deceiving other people.
- cagey β If you say that someone is being cagey about something, you mean that you think they are deliberately not giving you much information or expressing an opinion about it.
- canny β A canny person is clever and able to think quickly. You can also describe a person's behaviour as canny.
- larcenous β of, resembling, or characteristic of larceny.
- insincere β not sincere; not honest in the expression of actual feeling; hypocritical.
- dodgy β inclined to dodge.
- calculating β If you describe someone as calculating, you disapprove of the fact that they deliberately plan to get what they want, often by hurting or harming other people.
- backstairs β a secondary staircase in a house, esp one originally for the use of servants
- deep β If something is deep, it extends a long way down from the ground or from the top surface of something.
- mala fide β in bad faith; not genuine.
- designing β artful and scheming; conniving; crafty
- devious β 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.
- deceitful β If you say that someone is deceitful, you mean that they behave in a dishonest way by making other people believe something that is not true.
- disingenuous β lacking in frankness, candor, or sincerity; falsely or hypocritically ingenuous; insincere: Her excuse was rather disingenuous.
- hole-and-corner β secretive; clandestine; furtive: The political situation was full of hole-and-corner intrigue.
- dexterous β Someone who is dexterous is very skilful and clever with their hands.
- hep β hip4 .
- casuistic β of or having to do with casuistry or casuists
- ingenious β characterized by cleverness or originality of invention or construction: an ingenious machine.
- backdoor β You can use backdoor to describe an action or process if you disapprove of it because you think it has been done in a secret, indirect, or dishonest way.
- crafty β If you describe someone as crafty, you mean that they achieve what they want in a clever way, often by deceiving people.
- mischievous β maliciously or playfully annoying.
- foxy β foxlike; cunning or crafty; slyly clever.
- machiavellian β of, like, or befitting Machiavelli.
- cloak-and-dagger β A cloak-and-dagger activity is one which involves mystery and secrecy.
- dextrous β dexterous
- foul-mouthed β using obscene, profane, or scurrilous language; given to filthy or abusive speech.
- astute β If you describe someone as astute, you think they show an understanding of behaviour and situations, and are skilful at using this knowledge to their own advantage.
- lowdown β the real and unadorned facts; the true, secret, or inside information (usually preceded by the): We gave them the lowdown on the new housing project.
- hepper β hip4 .
adjective sly
- astucious β Subtle; cunning; astute.
- evasive β Tending to avoid commitment or self-revelation, esp. by responding only indirectly.
- dissembling β to give a false or misleading appearance to; conceal the truth or real nature of: to dissemble one's incompetence in business.
- exploitative β In the nature of exploitation; acting to exploit someone or something.
- opportunistic β adhering to a policy of opportunism; practicing opportunism.
- argute β (of sounds) shrill
- wise β having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right; possessing discernment, judgment, or discretion.
- casuistical β Casuistic.
- conniving β If you describe someone as conniving, you mean you dislike them because they make secret plans in order to get things for themselves or harm other people.
- wary β watchful; being on one's guard against danger.
- clandestine β Something that is clandestine is hidden or kept secret, often because it is illegal.
- kleptomaniacal β Having a compulsion to steal, as a kleptomaniac does.
- arch β An arch is a structure that is curved at the top and is supported on either side by a pillar, post, or wall.
- wily β full of, marked by, or proceeding from wiles; crafty; cunning.
- impostrous β (archaic) Characterized by imposture; deceitful.
noun sly
- cad β CAD refers to the use of computer software in the design of things such as cars, buildings, and machines. CAD is an abbreviation for 'computer aided design'.
verb sly
- worming β Zoology. any of numerous long, slender, soft-bodied, legless, bilaterally symmetrical invertebrates, including the flatworms, roundworms, acanthocephalans, nemerteans, gordiaceans, and annelids.