slyness
1
6.2
- noun
- /ˈslaɪnəs/
:
astucia
- Now his lips curled, and an old slyness crept into his eyes.
Examples
-
The young foxes resented Oliver's one-upmanship style and slyness.
Fiction book (1998) -
Maybe the look masked slyness and deceit.
Fiction book (1992) -
Once upon a time, a fox who was known far and wide for his slyness lived in a forest near a small farm.
Fiction book (1998) -
"You should have asked them to," Louise replied, her natural lilt veiling some slyness.
Fiction book (2001) -
He was majestic in his willfulness, slyness, and anger.
Academic text (1998) -
His boyish smile was parenthetically displayed between two delicately incised lines that helped lend him a look of perpetual slyness.
Fiction book (2001) -
His slyness was evident when he tricked his friends into helping him with the prank.
-
The politician used slyness to manipulate public opinion in his favor.
-
She was known for her slyness, often getting what she wanted through clever schemes.
Synonyms
28
4.5
The ability to get what you want by tricking people
27
4.9
To use dishonest ways to cheat people
24
7.5
Skill in getting what you want by tricking people
11
7.8
Clever but dishonest way of acting that tricks people
8
9.3
Tricks people use to deceive others to get money or advantage
2
7.0
Secret actions that are dishonest or unfair to get what you want
1
5.8
A clever use of tricks to get what you want from others
1
6.0
Doing things quietly to trick people without them noticing
1
8.2
Skill at tricking people to get what you want
1
7.9
Clever ways of getting what you want by tricking people
1
7.2
A quality that makes something seem true when it is false
1
7.1
Dishonest or sneaky behaviour to get what you want
1
7.7
Clever, dishonest talk that tries to trick people
1
6.9
Dishonest behavior by a person or group
Being clever at getting what you want by tricking others
Being clever and able to trick people
A clever and dishonest way of tricking people
Being clever in a dishonest or deceptive way that is hard to guess
Antonyms
How Sly
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Slyness comes from the old word sly, meaning 'clever in a secret or tricky way', and it echoes the idea in sleight (as in 'sleight of hand'), which is secret skill. So, slyness is the quality of being quietly clever or able to trick people.