About The Word Sly
Learn about the word Sly to help solve your crossword puzzle. Discover Sly definitions and meaning, origins, synonyms, related terms and more at the free Crossword Dictionary.
Sly
| Sly Definition And Meaning |
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What's The Definition Of Sly?
[adj] marked by skill in deception; "cunning men often pass for wise"; "deep political machinations"; "a foxy scheme"; "a slick evasive answer"; "sly as a fox"; "tricky Dick"; "a wily old attorney"
Synonyms | Synonyms for Sly: artful | crafty | cunning | dodgy | foxy | guileful | knavish | slick | tricksy | tricky | wily Related Terms | Find terms related to Sly: See Also | Sly In Webster's Dictionary \Sly\, a. [Compar. {Slier}or {Slyer}; superl. {Sliest} or
{Slyest}.] [OE. sli, slegh, sleih, Icel sl?gr, for sl?gr;
akin to Sw. slug, Dan. slu, LG. slou, G. schlau; probably to
E. slay, v.t.; cf. G. verschlagen sly. See {Slay}, v. t., and
cf. {Sleight}.]
1. Dexterous in performing an action, so as to escape notice;
nimble; skillful; cautious; shrewd; knowing; -- in a good
sense.
Be ye sly as serpents, and simple as doves. --Wyclif
(Matt. x. 16).
Whom graver age And long experience hath made wise
and sly. --Fairfax.
2. Artfully cunning; secretly mischievous; wily.
For my sly wiles and subtle craftiness, The litle of
the kingdom I possess. --Spenser.
3. Done with, and marked by, artful and dexterous secrecy;
subtle; as, a sly trick.
Envy works in a sly and imperceptible manner. --I.
Watts.
4. Light or delicate; slight; thin. [Obs.]
{By the sly}, or {On the sly}, in a sly or secret manner.
[Colloq.] ``Gazed on Hetty's charms by the sly.'' --G.
Eliot.
{Sly goose} (Zo["o]l.), the common sheldrake; -- so named
from its craftiness.
Syn: Cunning; crafty; subtile; wily. See {Cunning}.
\Sly\, adv. Slyly. [Obs. or Poetic] --Spenser. |
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