tricky [trik-ee] SynonymsExamplesWord Origin adjective, trick·i·er, trick·i·est.
- given to or characterized by deceitful tricks; crafty; wily.
- skilled in clever tricks or dodges.
- 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.
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.
Jesse Franklin Bone
And Trigger was a trickier monkey than most that way, when she felt like it.
James H Schmitz
There were newer models and trickier weapons, but none which worked so smoothly under the touch of Andy.
Max Brand
Battery patents are trickier than automotive machinery patents.
Gordon Randall Garrett (AKA David Gordon)
The comfort (hedone) of the Epicureans is the same practical philosophy the Stoics teach, only trickier, more deceitful.
Max Stirner
British Dictionary definitions for trickier tricky adjective trickier or trickiest
- involving snags or difficultiesa tricky job
- needing careful and tactful handlinga tricky situation
- 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