shifty

/'ʃifti/

Thân thiện

He gave a shifty glance to the side before answering.

Definition

Adjective: 1. Appearing deceitful or evasive; not to be trusted: Describes a person, their appearance (especially eyes), or behavior that suggests dishonesty, sneakiness, or a lack of straightforwardness. 2. Changing position or direction; shifting: Describes something that is moving, changing, or not fixed. This sense is less common in modern usage.

Usage and Examples

• Describing a person's character or appearance:
  • The detective didn't trust the witness's shifty answers.
  • He had a shifty look about him, avoiding eye contact.
• Describing eyes or gaze (most common collocation):
  • Her shifty eyes darted around the room, making everyone uneasy.
• Describing changing conditions (less common):
  • The boat struggled in the shifty winds. (Here, it means variable or changing winds.)

Advanced Usage

• "Shifty-looking": A common compound adjective used to describe someone whose appearance suggests they are dishonest or suspicious.
  • The police were alerted by a shifty-looking man loitering near the bank.

Variants and Related Words

• Shiftily (adverb): In a deceitful or evasive manner.
  • He answered shiftily, never giving a direct response.
• Shiftiness (noun): The quality of being shifty.
  • The shiftiness of his behavior raised immediate red flags.

Synonyms

• Devious: Sly and cunning.
• Sneaky: Behaving in a secret and dishonest way.
• Evasive: Tending to avoid commitment or direct answers.
• Untrustworthy: Not able to be relied on as honest or truthful.
• Furtive: Attempting to avoid notice, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble.

Antonyms

• Forthright: Direct and outspoken.
• Honest: Free of deceit; truthful and sincere.
• Trustworthy: Able to be relied on as honest or truthful.
• Straightforward: Uncomplicated and easy to understand.

Idioms and Phrases

• Shifty-eyed: Having a gaze that moves quickly and nervously, suggesting dishonesty. (This is essentially the core meaning of "shifty" as applied to eyes).
  • The classic movie villain is often portrayed as shifty-eyed.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. changing position or direction
   • he drifted into the shifting crowd
   • their nervous shifting glances
   • shifty winds
2. characterized by insincerity or deceit; evasive
   • a devious character
   • shifty eyes

Từ đồng nghĩa

• shifting
• devious