sly — having or showing a cunning and deceitful character
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: having or showing a cunning and deceitful character
Pronunciation (IPA): /slaɪ/
Example Sentences
- The cat made a sly attempt to steal the fish while pretending to sleep.
- With a sly grin, he revealed that he had eaten the last piece of cake.
- She gave him a sly nudge to remind him about their secret plan.
sly
ADJECTIVE[/slaɪ/]
having or showing a cunning and deceitful character
The sly fox sneaks past the sleeping guard dog to steal a chicken.
Too sly to let the bird fly, now it can only cry
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old Norse 'sloegr' meaning cunning or clever, related to the ability to turn or twist. The word entered Middle English through Scandinavian influence during the Viking period.
Breakdown
Single morpheme root from Old Norse 'sloegr' with no productive English affixes; the word entered English as a complete lexical item meaning cunning or deceitful
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The cat made a sly attempt to steal the fish while pretending to sleep.”
“With a sly grin, he revealed that he had eaten the last piece of cake.”
“She gave him a sly nudge to remind him about their secret plan.”
“The politician made sly remarks about his opponent during the debate.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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