tricky









tricky


tricky [trik-ee] SynonymsExamplesWord Origin adjective, trick·i·er, trick·i·est.

  1. given to or characterized by deceitful tricks; crafty; wily.
  2. skilled in clever tricks or dodges.
  3. deceptive, uncertain, or difficult to deal with or handle.

Origin of tricky First recorded in 1780–90; trick + -y1 Related formstrick·i·ly, adverbtrick·i·ness, nounSynonyms for tricky 1. artful, sly, shrewd. 2. skillful, adroit. 3. doubtful, unpredictable, unreliable, perilous. Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019 Related Words for trickier rocky, touchy, problematic, precarious, sticky, sensitive, thorny, complex, unstable, delicate, ticklish, intricate, knotty, critical, risky, slippery, shifty, treacherous, smooth, subtle Examples from the Web for trickier Contemporary Examples of trickier

  • With other emerging allies the calculus is trickier and leaves less margin for error.

    America Has an Unannounced ISIS Strategy, And It Involves Iran

    Jacob Siegel

    September 6, 2014

  • But comets, thanks to their eccentric and frequently long orbits, are trickier to study up close.

    Comet Surfing on a Rocket

    Matthew R. Francis

    August 10, 2014

  • It may be a trickier dance in a primary in which the most partisan Democrats are often the only ones who show up at the polls.

    It’s Matt Miller Time! Longtime Radio Host Runs for Congress

    David Freedlander

    February 24, 2014

  • It was trickier to convincingly recreate Mark’s imprint as a platonic pal downstairs.

    Michael Sam Is Not a ‘Distraction’

    Dave Cullen

    February 12, 2014

  • In the America of 2013, rejecting students on the basis of their not happening to be brown is ever trickier to defend.

    The Supreme Court Steps Back From Tokenism Under a New Name

    John McWhorter

    June 24, 2013

  • Historical Examples of trickier

  • The Rebs weren’t as good as we were, but they were trickier, and they could fight.

    A Question of Courage

    Jesse Franklin Bone

  • And Trigger was a trickier monkey than most that way, when she felt like it.

    Legacy

    James H Schmitz

  • There were newer models and trickier weapons, but none which worked so smoothly under the touch of Andy.

    Way of the Lawless

    Max Brand

  • Battery patents are trickier than automotive machinery patents.

    With No Strings Attached

    Gordon Randall Garrett (AKA David Gordon)

  • The comfort (hedone) of the Epicureans is the same practical philosophy the Stoics teach, only trickier, more deceitful.

    The Ego and His Own

    Max Stirner

  • British Dictionary definitions for trickier tricky adjective trickier or trickiest

    1. involving snags or difficultiesa tricky job
    2. needing careful and tactful handlinga tricky situation
    3. characterized by tricks; sly; wilya tricky dealer

    Derived Formstrickily, adverbtrickiness, noun Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for trickier tricky adj.

    1786, “characterized by tricks,” from trick (n.) + -y (2). Meaning “deceptively difficult” is from 1868. Related: Trickily; trickiness. Earlier was tricksy (1590s).

    Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

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