sly

sly  (sl)

adj. sli·er (slr) also sly·er, sli·est (slst) also sly·est

1. Clever or cunning, especially in the practice of deceit.

2. Stealthy or surreptitious: took a sly look at the letter on the table.

3. Playfully mischievous: a sly laugh.

Idiom:

on the sly

In a way intended to escape notice: took extra payments on the sly.

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[Middle English sleigh, from Old Norse slgr.]

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slyly adv.

slyness n.

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sly [slaɪ]

adj slyer, slyest, slier sliest

1. crafty; artful a sly dodge

2. insidious; furtive a sly manner

3. playfully mischievous; roguish sly humour

n

on the sly in a secretive manner

[from Old Norse slǣgr clever, literally: able to strike, from slā to slay]

slyly , slily adv

slyness  n

Thesaurus

Adj.

1.

sly - 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" foxy, guileful, knavish, crafty, tricksy, wily, cunning, dodgy, tricky, slick artful - marked by skill in achieving a desired end especially with cunning or craft; "the artful dodger"; "an artful choice of metaphors"

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sly

adjective

1. roguish, knowing, arch, teasing, naughty, mischievous, wicked, impish His lips were spread in a sly smile.

2. cunning, scheming, devious, secret, clever, subtle, tricky, covert, astute, wily, insidious, crafty, artful, furtive, conniving, Machiavellian, shifty, foxy, underhand, stealthy, guileful She is devious, sly and manipulative.
cunning open, direct, frank, straightforward, honest, trustworthy, above-board, artless, ingenuous, guileless

3. secret, furtive, surreptitious, stealthy, sneaking, covert, clandestine They were giving each other sly looks across the room.

on the sly secretly, privately, covertly, surreptitiously, under the counter (informal), on the quiet, behind (someone's) back, like a thief in the night, underhandedly, on the q.t. (informal) Was she meeting some guy on the sly?

Translations

sly [slaɪ]

A. ADJ (slyer (compar) (slyest (superl)))

1. (= wily) [person] → astuto, taimado
he's a sly one! → ¡es un zorro!

2. (= mischievous) [person] → pícaro, travieso; [look, smile] → pícaro, malicioso

B. N on the sly → a hurtadillas, a escondidas

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sly [ˈslaɪ]

adj [person] → rusé(e); [remark, look] → narquois(e)
a sly smile → un sourire sournois

n
on the sly → en cachette

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sly

adj (+er)

(= cunning) → schlau, gerissen; person, look also → verschlagen

(= mischievous) look, wink → verschmitzt; humour → versteckt

n on the sly → heimlich, still und leise (hum), → ganz heimlich

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sly [slaɪ]

1. adj (-ier (comp) (-iest (superl))) (wily) → astuto/a, scaltro/a; (secretive) → furtivo/a; (mischievous, trick) → birbone/a; (smile) → sornione/a, malizioso/a

2. n on the sly → di nascosto, di soppiatto

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sly [slaɪ]

1. adj (-ier (comp) (-iest (superl))) (wily) → astuto/a, scaltro/a; (secretive) → furtivo/a; (mischievous, trick) → birbone/a; (smile) → sornione/a, malizioso/a

2. n on the sly → di nascosto, di soppiatto

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sly

adj sly [slai]

1 cunning or deceitful He sometimes behaves in rather a sly manner. slinks ماكِر хитър záludný snu schlau πονηρός, πανούργος astuto, tramposo, malicioso kaval, petislik موذي viekas sournois עַרמוּמִי धूर्त, चालाक lukav, prefrigan sunyi licik kænn, slóttugur astuto ずるい 교활한 gudrus, suktas viltīgs; nodevīgs licik sluw slu, beregnende chytry velhaco viclean хитрый prefíkaný, ľstivý zvit lukav knipslug, illmarig ซึ่งมีเล่ห์เหลี่ยม hilebaz, tilki gibi 狡猾的 лукавий, хитрий مکّار، چالاک ranh mãnh, quỷ quyệt 狡猾的

2 playfully mischievous He made a sly reference to my foolish mistake. speels خَبيث закачлив zlomyslný underfundig verschmitzt τσαχπίνικος travieso, pícaro kelmikas حقه pahankurinen malin שָׁנוּן छिपाऊ, गोपनशील vragolast, nestašan ravasz nakal glettinn allusivo いたずらな 익살맞은 išdykėliškas draiskulīgs menyindir schalks underfundig szelmowski velhaco răutăcios лукавый zlomyseľný nagajiv lukav skälmsk, spjuveraktig ซึ่งทำอย่างลับ ๆ şakacı, muzip 淘氣的，頑皮的 іронічний; такий, що добродушно підсміюється فریب کاری، عیّار tinh nghịch, tinh quái 淘气的，顽皮的

adv slyly, ˈslily

slinks بِمَكْر، بِخُبْث хитро záludně snu schlau πονηρά maliciosamente kavalalt, kelmikalt موذيانه viekkaasti sournoisement בְּעַרמוּמִיוּת धूर्तता से, चालाकी से lukavo, vragolasto ravaszul, agyafúrtan dengan licik lævíslega astutamente, allusivamente ずるく 교활하게 gudriai viltīgi dengan licik sluw slu; underfundig chytrze com ar velhaco (în mod) viclean хитро; лукаво zlomyseľne zvito lukavo knipslugt อย่างมีเล่ห์เหลี่ยม kurnazca muzipçe 狡詐地 лукаво, хитро عیاری سے ranh mãnh, tinh quái 狡诈地

n slyness

slinksheid مَكْر، خُبْث хитрост záludnost snuhed die Schlauheit πονηριά, πανουργία malicia, picardía kavalus, kelmikus شيطنت viekkaus sournoiserie עַרמוּמִיוּת चालाकी, धूर्तता lukavost, prefriganost ravaszság, sunyiság kelicikan kænska astuzia ずるさ 교활함 gudrumas, suktumas viltīgums; nodevīgums kelicikan sluwheid sluhet; underfundighet chytrość, szelmostwo velhacaria viclenie хитрость; лукавство zlomyseľnosť zvitost lukavost knipslughet ความมีเล่ห์เหลี่ยม kurnazlık, muziplik 狡詐 лукавство, хитрість عیاری sự ranh mãnh, sự tinh quái 狡诈

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sly → كتوم mazaný snedig listig πονηρός taimado viekas rusé prepreden scaltro ずるい 교활한 sluw slu przebiegły dissimulado хитрый slug ซึ่งมีเล่ห์เหลี่ยม อย่างฉลาดแกมโกง kurnaz ranh mãnh 狡猾的