Wily
Deceitfully clever; cunning and sly; full of craftiness.
adjectiveWily
Deceitfully clever; cunning and sly; full of craftiness.
adjectiveImagine This
Picture a wily fox in a bustling farmyard. It offers to help herd the chickens, all the while calculating the best moment to snatch eggs. Each friendly gesture is a decoy that hides its true goal: misdirection to achieve a prize.
Sounds Like
WHY-lee
Looks Like
Willy (a killer whale in the movie Free Willy)
Remember This
Wily derives from the noun 'wile' meaning a trick or stratagem; the word describes someone who uses clever tricks to achieve a goal.
Other Forms
Connect With
craftiness, cunning, slyness, deception, guile
Note
Note: Do not confuse wily with willful. Wily describes crafty trickery; willful means deliberate or intentional. Also distinguish between 'wile' (the trick) and 'wiles' (tricks).