wily

Word Origin & History

c.1300, from wile + -ly (1). Related: Wiliness.

I roused my energies, and the next time the wily Beadle summoned me, I went.

The stratagem of the wily savage was thus perfectly successful.

It was a time for confidences, and the wily Mrs. Dunn realized that fact.

In marrying Ben Aboo, the wily Katrina imposed two conditions.

It was a wily trap he had set me, worthy only of a trickster.

He is greedy as the locust, wily as the serpent, and ferocious as the panther.

A change was visible in the wily Seneschal's fat countenance.

Their chiefs were wily, their warriors past masters of the art of ambush.

But they were too wily to be caught in such a trap, and our attempt failed.

How soon would he rebel at being led by the nose by the wily Adams?

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adj crafty, clever

adjective. scheming

adjective. knowing, coy

adjective. knowing, coy

adjective. skillful; cunning

adjective. tricky

adjective. scheming to manipulate