sly

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++sly /slaɪ/ adjective 1. INTELLIGENTsomeone who is sly cleverly deceives people in order to get what they want 狡猾的，狡诈的 SYN cunning► see thesaurus at dishonest2 sly smile/glance/wink etc SECRETa smile, look etc that shows you know something secret 诡秘的微笑/一瞥/眨眼等 He leaned forward with a sly smile. 他俯身向前诡秘地一笑。3 on the sly informalSECRET secretly, especially when you are doing something that you should not do 秘密地，偷偷地，暗地里 They’d been seeing each other on the sly for months. 他们已经偷偷约会了好几个月。 —slyly adverb —slyness noun [uncountable]

Examples from the Corpus

sly• I won't be party to your bitching yourself on the sly.• Children of that age can be very sly.• My parents didn't approve, but we continued to meet on the sly.• Eliot looked sly and deceitful, as though he wasn't telling us the whole truth.• I began to dislike her; she looked sly and I felt indignant that she'd spoken to me like that.• He wanted to forget that she was sly and spiteful and malicious.• Manshin Anjima gave me a sly look and wrote down the name of her cemetery.• A sly look crossed his face when Patsy mentioned the money.• The sly old Congressman knows what it takes to get elected.• He's a sly old devil isn't he! Nobody knew he had as much money as that!• How the sly one squeaked, howled, sizzled, hissed, and swelled his hairy carapace!• Mitchell was shocked to see the man signaling him with sly winks.Origin sly (1200-1300) Old Norse slgr

sly adjectiveChinese

deceives people cleverly who in Corpus is someone sly

sly
sly /slaɪ/

adjective

Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old Norse
Origin: slgr

1. someone who is sly cleverly deceives people in order to get what they want
SYN cunning
2. sly smile/glance/wink etc a smile, look etc that shows you know something secret:

He leaned forward with a sly smile.
3. on the sly informal secretly, especially when you are doing something that you should not do:

They’d been seeing each other on the sly for months.
—slyly adverb
—slyness noun [uncountable]

THESAURUS

   ▪ dishonest behaving in a way that is intended to deceive people, for example by lying, cheating, or stealing: Are you accusing me of being dishonest? | The money was acquired through dishonest means. | People are no longer surprised to find that politicians are dishonest.
   ▪ corrupt using your power in a dishonest way for your own advantage – used about people in official positions: corrupt politicians | Law and order has broken down, and most government officials are corrupt.
   ▪ devious /ˈdiːviəs/ good at secretly thinking of clever plans to trick people in order to get what you want: You have a very devious mind! | They use all kinds of devious methods to find out your personal details.
   ▪ underhand British English, underhanded American English underhand methods involve secretly deceiving people in order to get what you want: In a series of underhand moves, Browne managed to gain control of the company.
   ▪ sneaky doing or saying things secretly, in a way that seems wrong because it is slightly dishonest or unfair: It was pretty sneaky when the bank charged me interest on my account without telling me.
   ▪ sly deliberately behaving in a way that hides what you are really thinking or doing, in a way that is slightly dishonest: Lucy decided not to tell him where she was going. She was often a bit sly like that. | He’s a sly old fox.
   ▪ unscrupulous /ʌnˈskruːpjələs, ʌnˈskruːpjʊləs/ using dishonest and unfair methods to get what you want, without caring if you harm other people: Some unscrupulous companies try to persuade people to borrow huge sums of money.
   ▪ fraudulent /ˈfrɔːdjələnt, ˈfrɔːdjʊlənt $ ˈfrɒːdʒə-/ formal deliberately deceiving people in an illegal way in order to gain money or power: You will be prosecuted if you make a fraudulent claim on your insurance policy.

sly

BrE

/slaɪ/

🔊

NAmE

/slaɪ/

🔊

adjective

(

disapproving

)