wily









wily


wily [wahy-lee] SynonymsExamplesWord Origin adjective, wil·i·er, wil·i·est.

  1. full of, marked by, or proceeding from wiles; crafty; cunning.

Origin of wily Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at wile, -y1 Related formswil·i·ly, adverbwil·i·ness, nouno·ver·wil·y, adjectiveun·wil·y, adjectiveSynonyms for wily artful, sly, designing, intriguing, tricky, foxy, deceitful, treacherous.Antonyms for wily straightforward, open. Related Words for wiliest underhanded, sneaky, crooked, shrewd, cagey, scheming, shifty, sly, arch, artful, astute, cunning, deceitful, deceptive, deep, designing, foxy, greasy, insidious, intriguing Examples from the Web for wiliest Historical Examples of wiliest

  • Twist says not Twist calls her the wiliest serpent he ever saw, but not mad.

    One Of Them

    Charles James Lever

  • In this long controversy the French were the wiliest, the British were the most arrogant.

    The Mentor: The War of 1812

    Albert Bushnell Hart

  • The wiliest person cannot for ever conceal his fundamental character from the simplest.

    Mental Efficiency

    Arnold Bennett

  • The wiliest of men could not have summoned up all the tears he shed.

    The Memoirs of Madame Vige Lebrun

    Marie Louise Elisabeth Vige-Lebrun

  • For there, under a log, lurks the wiliest trout I have ever encountered.

    Tenting To-night

    Mary Roberts Rinehart

  • British Dictionary definitions for wiliest wily adjective wilier or wiliest

    1. characterized by or proceeding from wiles; sly or crafty

    Derived Formswiliness, noun Word Origin and History for wiliest wily adj.

    c.1300, from wile + -ly (1). Related: Wiliness.

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