Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Clever or cunning, especially in the practice of deceit.
- adjective Stealthy or surreptitious.
- adjective Playfully mischievous.
- idiom (on the sly) In a way intended to escape notice.
from The Century Dictionary.
- . Cunning; skilful; shrewd.
- Meanly artful; insidious; crafty.
- Playfully artful; knowing; having an intentionally transparent artfulness.
- Artfully and delicately wrought; cunning; ingenious.
- Thin; fine; slight; slender.
- Illicit: as, sly grog (liquor made in illicit stills).
- Synonyms and
- Cunning, Artful, Sly, etc. (sec cunning).
- Roguish, playful, waggish.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Dexterous in performing an action, so as to escape notice; nimble; skillful; cautious; shrewd; knowing; -- in a good sense.
- adjective Artfully cunning; secretly mischievous; wily.
- adjective Done with, and marked by, artful and dexterous secrecy; subtle.
- adjective obsolete Light or delicate; slight; thin.
- adjective [Colloq.] in a sly or secret manner.
- adjective (Zoöl.) the common sheldrake; -- so named from its craftiness.
- adverb Obs. or Poetic Slyly.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Artfully
cunning ; secretlymischievous ;wily . - adjective
Dexterous in performing an action, so as to escape notice;nimble ;skillful ;cautious ;shrewd ;knowing ; — in a good sense. - adjective Done with, and marked by, artful and dexterous
secrecy ;subtle ; as, a sly trick. - adjective Light or
delicate ; slight; thin. - adverb
Slyly .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective marked by skill in deception
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Wes Anderson animated a classic Roald Dahl story and cast the vocal talents of George Clooney as the title sly fox.
Phillyist 2009
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I also would like to write in my vote for Bruce Campbell to be in this movie. joe story sounds decent. but i don't know how good the script will be if sly is writing it. the cast sounds good, but i don't know how well jet li will fit into a more traditional action movie rather than a kung fu movie.
Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Jet Li to Team Up For The Expendables | /Film 2008
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She held her expression sly and walked Runtly away.
Immortalis Salvatore, R. A., 1959- 2003
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In fact, all along she has been impressing on me in sly terms, that my absence was felt to be good company at Cheyne Row; and that if I ever came back it would be at the risk of spoiling everybody's good humour!!
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One day he called sly Mercury, who had wings on his shoes, and bade him go and lead the cow away from the grove where she was kept.
Old Greek Stories James Baldwin 1883
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Im disappointed in vh1s top songs. they are just getting more out of key with veiwers by adding fillers like creed and korn. i would rather call sly and family stone more popular "hard rock" evanesance.
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“The fear of camera-fitted mobile phones which can take pictures of a woman on the sly, is keeping a number of Qatari women away from beauty salons,” the Peninsula On-line reports.”
Smart Mobs » Blog Archive » Qatari women and camera-fitted mobile phones 2006
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“The fear of camera-fitted mobile phones which can take pictures of a woman on the sly, is keeping a number of Qatari women away from beauty salons,” the Peninsula On-line reports.”
Smart Mobs » Blog Archive » Qatari women and camera-fitted mobile phones 2006
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He rebuilds a lab, on the sly, that is humongous, an undertaking requiring great wealth and a greater amount of equipment and manpower.
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A minute later it was Mosselet’s turn to come in, a cigarette between his lips, his expression sly and condescending.
Storm in the Channel Simenon, Georges 1977
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