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wilyskilled in gaining an advantage; cunning, crafty, or sly

Part of speech: ADJECTIVE

Definition: skilled in gaining an advantage; cunning, crafty, or sly

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈwaɪli/

Example Sentences

  • My grandmother is so wily that she always wins at poker, even against professional players.
  • The wily student convinced the teacher that his dog really did eat his homework by bringing fake dog teeth marks.
  • The wily negotiator secured the best deal by pretending to lose interest at the crucial moment.

wily

ADJECTIVE

[/ˈwaɪli/]

skilled in gaining an advantage; cunning, crafty, or sly

The wily fox tricks the hunter by leaving fake footprints leading the wrong way.
💡 Concept

The wily fox tricks the hunter by leaving fake footprints leading the wrong way.

The wily fox grins slyly at grapes hanging highly!
🎵 Rhyme

The wily fox grins slyly at grapes hanging highly!

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈwaɪli/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈwaɪli/

🌳Etymology

Rootwile
Suffix--y

Origin

From Old English 'wil' meaning 'craft' or 'cunning,' related to the verb 'beguile.' The suffix '-y' transforms the noun into an adjective meaning 'characterized by' or 'full of.'

Breakdown

wil (craft, cunning) + -y (adjective suffix meaning 'full of' or 'characterized by') = wily (full of craft or cunning)

🎵Rhyme

highlyshylyslylydryly
highly
shyly
slyly
dryly

🔗Collocations

wily politician
wily scheme
wily tactics
wily fox
wily veteran

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

My grandmother is so wily that she always wins at poker, even against professional players.

😄 Fun example

The wily student convinced the teacher that his dog really did eat his homework by bringing fake dog teeth marks.

The wily negotiator secured the best deal by pretending to lose interest at the crucial moment.

😄 Fun example

She used wily tactics to avoid doing dishes by suddenly remembering urgent homework every time.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

cunningcraftyslyshrewdclever

Antonyms

naivegulliblestraightforward

Related

deviousschemingmanipulativestrategic

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