wily

/'waili/

Thân thiện

A wily fox sneaks past the sleeping farm dog.

Definition

Adjective: - Marked by skill in deception; cunning, crafty, sly: Describes a person or their behavior as clever at achieving goals through deceit, trickery, or manipulation, often in a secretive or indirect way.

Usage and Examples

• Describing a person:

  • The wily old fox managed to escape the hunters yet again.
  • He was a wily negotiator who always got the better deal.

• Describing behavior or a plan:

  • She used a wily trick to gain access to the exclusive club.
  • The team's victory was due to a wily change in strategy.

Advanced Usage

• "Wily as a fox": A common simile emphasizing extreme cunning and cleverness.
  • The detective was wily as a fox, always one step ahead of the criminals.

Variants and Related Words

• Wiliness (noun): The quality of being wily.
  • His success was due more to his wiliness than to his strength.

Synonyms

• Cunning: Skilled in achieving one's ends by deceit.
• Sly: Having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature.
• Crafty: Clever at achieving one's aims by indirect or deceitful methods.
• Guileful: Treacherously cunning; skilled in deception.
• Devious: Showing a skillful use of underhanded tactics to achieve goals.

Antonyms

• Guileless: Devoid of guile; innocent and without deception.
• Naive: Showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment; easily deceived.
• Ingenuous: (Of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting.

Idioms and Phrases

• A wily old bird/fox/customer: An idiom for a person who is very experienced and cunning, especially in avoiding trouble or getting what they want.
  • Don't try to cheat him; he's a wily old bird.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. marked by skill in deception
   • cunning men often pass for wise
   • deep political machinations
   • a foxy scheme
   • a slick evasive answer
   • sly as a fox
   • tricky Dick
   • a wily old attorney