🦊 Sly or sneaky ✨ Smooth and shiny

sleekit

9.9

Acting in a secret, sly way to try to trick people

adjective

Offensive

: maquiavélico

She gave him a sleekit glance, hinting that she knew more than she let on.

Examples

The sleekit man whispered his scheme in the shadows, knowing no one was watching.
His sleekit behavior made it hard for anyone to trust him completely.
The sleekit fox crept silently through the garden, searching for food.
The sleekit fox managed to escape the hunters.
He had a sleekit smile that made people uneasy.
Her sleekit intentions became clear when she manipulated the situation to her advantage.
The politician's sleekit words disguised his true motives, making voters question their trust.

Synonyms

sneaky

vssleekit

101 4.4

Acting in a secret way to avoid being noticed or to get an advantage

is more about secret cleverness and sly deception rather than mere advantage seeking

secretive

vssleekit

71 4.9

A person who does not tell others about their plans or feelings

is more about active deceit and sly tricking rather than simple reticence

devious

vssleekit

51 6.4

Acting in a dishonest or tricky way to get what you want

emphasises secretive cunning and sly deception more than plain indirectness

cunning

vssleekit

43 5.1

Clever at getting things by tricking people

adds a stronger sense of secretive, underhanded intent rather than general cleverness

sly

vssleekit

31 4.9

Being clever in a secret way to trick others

leans more toward hidden, personal slyness rather than general indirect cleverness

tricky

vssleekit

26 4.5

Uses lies or clever plans to get what they want

adds a clearer sense of sneaky, hidden plotting rather than general deceit

artful

vssleekit

20 6.9

Clever in a sly or secret way to hide what you really mean

is more overtly secretive and deceitful rather than merely indirect skill

furtive

vssleekit

14 7.5

To act quietly and secretly to avoid being seen

is more about deliberate, secret deceit and sly tricking rather than just hiding

Machiavellian

vssleekit

Formal

11 9.9

Using clever tricks and lies to get power or advantage

shares manipulative features but is not limited to political or cruel strategy

weaselly

vssleekit

Informal

4 8.4

A person who acts sneaky and dishonest to avoid clear answers

is more about active, secret cunning and planned deceit rather than mere appearance

foxy

vssleekit

3 8.2

Being clever at secretly tricking people for personal gain

is more focused on hidden, sneaky behaviour rather than clever appearance

knavish

vssleekit

Offensive

1 9.9

Acting in a way that tricks people to get what you want

is more about secret sneaking and sly behaviour than just skill

tricksy

vssleekit

1 9.1

Behaving in a sly way that tries to fool people

is darker, stressing secret slyness rather than playful tricking

guileful

vssleekit

1 8.9

A person or plan that tricks people to get what they want

focuses more on secretive sneaking and sly intent than on mere skill

lurky

vssleekit

1 9.9

Seeming secret and a little dangerous as if hiding in the shadows

adds clearer intent to deceive and secret plotting rather than mere lurking

Antonyms

open

∞ 1.0

Not closed so people or things can go through

honest

∞ 1.0

Truthful and fair, not cheating or lying

How Sly

sleekit

Offensive

9.9

duplicitous

15 8.9

devious

51 6.4

cunning

28 4.5

crafty

47 4.5

Surface Forms

sleekit positive

Morphology

sleekit = sleek (semi-transparent) = sleek + it

Formally derived from 'sleek' + '-it', but the sense 'sly, cunning' is a metaphorical shift from 'smooth' and may not be obvious to learners from the base meaning alone.

Etymology

Sleekit also comes from sleek and is like the common English word slick, which can mean 'smooth' in a way that hides the truth. So a sleekit person is 'smooth' in a secret, sly way, which is why the word means 'sly' or 'deceitful'.