Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Characterized by great caution and wariness: Describes a person who is very careful, secretive, or unwilling to give a direct answer, often to avoid commitment or revealing information.
   • Showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others: Describes a person who is clever, cunning, or shrewd in a way that is focused on personal advantage, sometimes to the point of being unsound or overly tricky.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The politician gave a cagy response to the question about his future plans. (This shows caution and avoidance of a direct answer.)
  • She's a cagy negotiator who never reveals her bottom line. (This shows shrewdness and wariness in dealings.)
  • After the scandal, the company's CEO became very cagy with the press. (This shows a cautious and reserved attitude.)

Advanced Usage

• "To be cagey about something": To be deliberately vague or non-committal regarding a specific topic.
  • He was very cagey about the details of the new project.
• Used to describe behavior, statements, or a person's general demeanor that is guarded and calculated.

Variants and Related Words

• Cagey (adj): The more common spelling variant of "cagy". The meanings are identical.
• Cagily (adv): In a cagey manner.
  • He answered cagily, avoiding any direct promises.
• Caginess (n): The quality of being cagey.
  • Her caginess made it hard to know what she really thought.

Synonyms

• Wary: Watchful, cautious.
• Shrewd: Having sharp judgment, astute (often with a focus on practical advantage).
• Noncommittal: Not expressing a clear opinion or commitment.
• Guarded: Cautious and restrained in speech or behavior.
• Evasive: Tending to avoid giving direct answers.

Antonyms

• Forthcoming: Open, willing to give information.
• Candid: Frank, open, and sincere in speech.
• Transparent: Easy to perceive or detect; open.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Play it cagey: To act in a cautious, shrewd, or non-committal way.
  • Until we know their offer, we should play it cagey.
• While not a phrasal verb, the structure "to be cagey about" is a very common collocation, as shown in the advanced usage section.

Adjective

1. characterized by great caution and wariness
   • a cagey avoidance of a definite answer
   • chary of the risks involved
   • a chary investor
2. showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
   • a cagey lawyer
   • too clever to be sound