Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Cunningly deceitful; crafty: Describes a person who is clever in a dishonest way, using trickery and deception to achieve their goals. The cunning is often subtle and involves clever schemes.
   • Sly; wily: Characterized by artful deception or shrewdness in avoiding detection or gaining an advantage.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Hắn ta là một kẻ giảo hoạt, luôn tìm cách lừa gạt người khác. (He is a cunningly deceitful person, always looking for ways to swindle others.)
  • Với vẻ ngoài thật thà, không ai ngờ cô ấy lại giảo hoạt đến vậy. (With her honest appearance, no one suspected she could be so crafty.)
  • Thủ đoạn giảo hoạt của tên tội phạm đã đánh lừa cảnh sát một thời gian. (The criminal's wily tricks deceived the police for a while.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often implies a negative moral judgment, suggesting a dangerous or untrustworthy intelligence. It is stronger than simply being clever ("thông minh") and carries connotations of guile and treacherous scheming.

Variants and Related Words

• Giảo quyệt (adj): Synonymous with , meaning cunning and treacherous.
  • Âm mưu giảo quyệt của hắn đã bị bại lộ. (His treacherous plot was exposed.)

Synonyms

• Crafty: Skilled at achieving one's aims by indirect or deceitful methods.
• Deceitful: Guilty of or involving deception.
• Sly: Having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature.
• Wily: Skilled at gaining an advantage, especially deceitfully.

Related Idioms

• Khôn ngoan giảo hoạt: A phrase emphasizing shrewd but cunning and dishonest wisdom.
  • Hắn dùng sự khôn ngoan giảo hoạt để thăng tiến. (He used cunning shrewdness to advance his career.)

1. Friendishly cunning