wily

[ wahy-lee ]
See synonyms for: wilywilierwiliness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,wil·i·er, wil·i·est.
  1. full of, marked by, or proceeding from wiles; crafty; cunning.

Origin of wily

1
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at wile, -y1

Other words for wily

Opposites for wily

Other words from wily

  • wil·i·ly, adverb
  • wil·i·ness, noun
  • o·ver·wil·y, adjective
  • un·wil·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use wily in a sentence

  • But he emerged a better and wilier bandit than before, to embark upon a career that made his former life seem tame.

    Americans All | Various
  • Her ha'nt is settin' ober yander on de udder side er de branch, unner dat wilier-tree, dis blessed minute.

    The Conjure Woman | Charles W. Chesnutt
  • I have seen women steeped in trickery; the wilier they were the more love surrounded them.

    Woman | Magdeleine Marx
  • De Courcy failed, but the De Burghs were wilier and more successful.

    The Story Of Ireland | Emily Lawless
  • As we laid her 'neath the wilier on the banks o' Turkey Run.

    Oklahoma and Other Poems | Freeman E. Miller

British Dictionary definitions for wily

wily

/ (ˈwaɪlɪ) /


adjectivewilier or wiliest
  1. characterized by or proceeding from wiles; sly or crafty

Derived forms of wily

  • wiliness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012