sly
Clever in a quiet, secret way that may trick other people.
Clever at hiding your real intentions and using secret or indirect methods, often to trick or outsmart people.
Describing a smile, look, or words that quietly show you know a secret or find something funny, without saying it directly.
Describing a smile, look, remark, or similar that quietly shows you know something secret or are amused in a hidden way.
Done secretly so that other people do not see, often because it is not allowed.
Done in a quiet, hidden way so that other people, especially people in authority, will not notice, often because it is wrong or not allowed.
- Base: sly
- Comparative: slier
- Superlative: sliest
a sly dig
1subtle, hidden criticism
A comment that seems friendly but is secretly a small, indirect criticism.
- Her comment about punctuality felt like a sly dig at me.
- He couldn’t resist a sly dig at his rival during the interview.
- The article included a sly dig at the government’s handling of the crisis.
a sly grin
1broad, secretly amused smile
A big, cheeky smile that shows you know a secret or find something funny, but you are not saying it directly.
- He sat back with a sly grin, clearly happy with himself.
- A sly grin crossed her face when she saw his message.
- The child had a sly grin after hiding his sister’s toy.
a sly joke
1joke hidden in normal speech
A quiet, clever joke that is not very obvious and may sound like normal speaking to some people.
- He made a sly joke about the budget that only the finance team understood.
- The movie is full of sly jokes that adults will enjoy.
- She slipped in a sly joke about office politics during her presentation.
a sly look
1look showing hidden knowledge
A way of looking at someone that quietly shows you know something or are planning something, without saying it.
- She shot me a sly look before changing the subject.
- He gave his brother a sly look when their parents walked in.
- There was a sly look in his eyes as he made the offer.
a sly sense of humor
1quiet, clever, indirect humor
A way of being funny that is quiet and clever, so that not everyone notices the joke.
- He has a very sly sense of humor that you only notice after a while.
- Her sly sense of humor makes serious meetings more relaxed.
- The author’s sly sense of humor is easy to miss if you read quickly.
a sly smile
1smile showing secret amusement
A smile that quietly shows you know something or find something funny, but you are not saying it directly.
- He gave a sly smile when I asked if he knew anything about the surprise.
- With a sly smile, she handed me the winning ticket.
- A sly smile spread across his face as the plan came together.
a sly wink
1wink signaling a secret or joke
A quick closing of one eye that quietly tells someone you share a secret or a joke.
- He gave me a sly wink as he slipped out of the room.
- With a sly wink, she agreed to help him.
- The magician ended the show with a sly wink to the audience.
on the sly
1do something secretly or quietly
To do something secretly so that other people, especially people in authority, do not know about it.
- He’s been seeing a lawyer on the sly because he’s thinking about divorce.
- She eats chocolate on the sly when the kids have gone to bed.
- The company paid some workers in cash on the sly to avoid taxes.
you sly fox
1playful praise for clever secrecy
A joking way to say that someone was very clever and secret when they did something.
- You sly fox, you already bought the tickets and didn’t tell anyone!
- She hid the cake in her office? You sly fox!
- You sly fox, I didn’t know you could sing that well.
sly as a fox
1very clever and tricky
Very clever in a quiet, secret way, especially at making plans that other people do not see.
- He's sly as a fox when it comes to negotiations.
- Don’t be fooled by his friendly smile; he’s sly as a fox.
- She’s sly as a fox in business deals.
- She may seem innocent, but she’s sly as a fox when it comes to business.
- The lawyer was sly as a fox, finding a way around every objection.