Meaning & use
wily
Last updated
UK/ˈwaɪ.li/
US/ˈwaɪ.li/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Clever in a sly way, good at getting what you want by tricks or cunning plans.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a verb: a wily fox, he is wily.
Patterns
- wily old someone
The wily negotiator got a better price than anyone expected.
A wily old fox escaped the traps again.
She was too wily to be fooled by the trick.
Word forms
| comparative | wilier |
|---|---|
| superlative | wiliest |
Common combinations
- wily old fox
- The coach is a wily old fox who always has a surprise.
- wily politician
- The wily politician avoided every direct question.
- wily tactics
- Their wily tactics left the opposition confused.
- wily opponent
- We faced a wily opponent in the final.
- wily enough
- He was wily enough to hide his plans.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cunning
- Cunning is the common word and can sound negative, while wily often carries a trace of admiration.
- crafty
- Crafty stresses skill at scheming, while wily suggests experience and quick wit.
- shrewd
- Shrewd is mostly positive and links to sound judgment, while wily hints at deception.
- sly
- Sly suggests secretive and slightly dishonest behavior, while wily suggests greater cleverness.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: wily or wiley?
wily vs wiley
This spelling is only a surname or a brand. The adjective is wily.
Practice
The wily shopkeeper convinced every tourist to pay double. What does wily suggest?
Choose one answer.
Wily describes someone who is clever and a little sly. The other options do not fit a shopkeeper who talks people into overpaying.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wily”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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