shiftyadj.
/ˈʃɪfti/, U.S. /ˈʃɪfti/ 1. † b. Of a device: Effective, serviceable. Obsolete.
a. Full of shifts or expedients; well able to shift for oneself.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > ability > [adjective] > resourceful
shifty1570
shiftfula1618
nackety1756
resourceful1808
1570 P. Levens Manipulus Vocabulorum sig. Iiii/2 Shifty, astutus, prouidus.
1783 Maryland Jrnl. 18 Feb. 3/3 Ran away,..a Negro Man, named Pompey,..very artful and shifty.
1838 ‘Texian’ Mexico v. Texas 217 Flambeau, who was extremely shifty, soon built up a nice little booth.
1859 C. Kingsley Water-supply London in Misc. II. 218 The canny, shifty, far-seeing Scot, with that mingled daring and caution of his.
1876 R. W. Emerson Resources in Lett. & Social Aims 124 What a plastic little creature he [man] is! so shifty, so adaptive!
1888 W. Black In Far Lochaber xxiii She was in many ways a shifty and business-like young person, who had early acquired a sense of responsibility.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > advantage > efficacy > [adjective]
frameeOE
goodeOE
mightyOE
vailanta1325
sicker1338
mightful1340
suffisant1340
virtuousa1387
effectivea1398
effectuala1398
worthya1398
availingc1420
effectuous?a1425
operant?a1425
substantialc1449
virtual?a1475
substantious1483
available1502
efficacious1528
energial1528
working1532
operatory1551
operatoriousa1555
stately1567
feckful1568
efficace?1572
shifty1585
operative1590
instrumental1601
efficable1607
speeding1612
effectuating1615
officious1618
availsome1619
prevailable1624
valid1651
perficient1659
affectuous1664
implemental1676
virtual1760
efficient1787
sufficient1831
slick1833
roadworthy1837
practician1863
positive1903
performant1977
1585 R. Greene Planetomachia i. sig. Hv Seeing his troubled minde coulde finde out no shiftie deuise.
2.
a. Fond of indirect or dishonest methods; addicted to evasion or artifice; not straightforward, not to be depended on.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > cunning > [adjective] > evasive
shifting1581
shuffling1616
purty1682
evasive1725
shifty1837
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > evasive deception, shiftiness > [adjective]
slipperc1000
hinderc1200
slidderya1250
covert1340
unwrast1393
slyc1440
slippery1555
fetching1570
shifting1581
as slippery as an eel1601
roundabout1608
corner-creeping1610
shuffling1616
prevaricatory1645
prevaricative1657
sliverly1674
whifflinga1680
sneak-pasty1681
slid1719
evasive1725
shauchling1755
shifty1837
slab-bridged1845
sneaky1861
pussy-footed1893
sidewinding1902
slithery1902
pussyfooting1926
1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. I. iv. iv. 192 A Stanislas Maillard,..one of the shiftiest of men?
1841 Kinnear Cairo, etc. 305 A most shifty old fox he [sc. Mehemet Ali] is.
1879 F. W. Farrar Life & Work St. Paul II. ix. xxxvi. 143 Their Jewish teachers said that Paul was shifty and complaisant.
b. Of a person's attributes, actions, etc. Also in combinations, as shifty-eyed adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > evasive deception, shiftiness > [adjective] > of actions, words, etc.
sly1387
sinister?1455
slippery1579
shuffling1644
evasorious1687
evasive1744
shiftya1863
a1863 W. M. Thackeray Denis Duval ii, in Cornhill Mag. (1864) Mar. 264 A handsome, tall, sallow-faced man, with a shifty eye.
1864 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend (1865) I. ii. vi. 223 I scorn your shifty evasions.
1884 American 7 213 His political methods have been shifty and not straightforward.
1922 H. Jenkins John Dene of Toronto i. 11 A shifty-eyed little man.
1977 M. Babson Lord Mayor of Death xiv. 92 He must have looked a right shifty-eyed bastard.
3. Changeable or changeful; wavering. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > change > changeableness > [adjective]
slidinga900
wankleeOE
windyc1000
unsteadfastc1200
fleeting?c1225
loose?c1225
brotelc1315
unstablec1340
varyingc1340
variantc1374
motleyc1380
ungroundedc1380
muablea1393
passiblea1393
remuablea1393
changeablea1398
movablea1398
variablec1397
slidderya1400
ticklec1400
variantc1412
flitting1413
mutable?a1425
movingc1425
flaskisable1430
flickering1430
transmutablec1430
vertible1447
brittlea1450
ficklea1450
permutablec1450
unfirmc1450
uncertain1477
turnable1483
unsteadfast1483
vagrantc1522
inconstant1526
alterable?1531
stirringc1540
slippery1548
various1552
slid?1553
mutala1561
rolling1561
weathery1563
unconstant1568
interchangeable1574
fluctuant1575
stayless1575
transitive1575
voluble1575
changeling1577
queasy1579
desultory1581
huff-puff1582
unstaid1586
vagrant1586
changeful1590
floating1594
Protean1594
unstayed1594
swimming1596
anchorless1597
mobilec1600
ticklish1601
catching1603
labile1603
unrooted1604
quicksilvered1605
versatile1605
insubstantial1607
uncertain1609
brandling1611
rootless1611
squeasy1611
wind-changinga1616
insolid1618
ambulatory1625
versatilous1629
plastic1633
desultorious1637
unbottomed1641
fluid1642
fluent1648
yea-and-nay1648
versipellous1650
flexile1651
uncentred1652
variating1653
chequered1656
slideable1662
transchangeative1662
weathercock-like1663
flicketing1674
fluxa1677
lapsable1678
wanton1681
veering1684
upon the weathercock1702
contingent1703
unsettled?1726
fermentable1731
afloat1757
brickle1768
wavy1795
vagarious1798
unsettled1803
fitful1810
metamorphosical1811
undulating1815
tittupya1817
titubant1817
mutative1818
papier mâché1818
teetotum1819
vacillating1822
capricious1823
sensitive1828
quicksilvery1829
unengrafted1829
fluxionala1834
proteiform1833
liquid1835
tottlish1835
kaleidoscopic1846
versative1846
kaleidoscopical1858
tottery1861
choppy1865
variative1874
variational1879
wimbly-wambly1881
fluctuable1882
shifty1882
giveable1884
shifty1884
tippy1886
mutatory1890
upsettable1890
rocky1897
undulatory1897
streaky1898
tottly1905
tipply1906
up and down1907
inertialess1927
sometimey1946
rise-and-fall1950
switchable1961
1882 H. S. Holland Logic & Life (1885) 294 Principles grow vague, and shifty, and indecisive.
1884 Manch. Guard. 22 Sept. 5/4 People of fashion and taste..are so shifty that they do not know their own minds from day to day.
1904 R. Bridges Demeter 630 Until his shifty mind Became to pity inclined.
4. Changing or shifting in position.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > [adjective] > moving
stirringc950
movablea1382
swayingc1400
moving?a1425
shifting1479
mobile1490
unquiet1539
movent1644
impacifica1657
traversing1785
unstationary1832
unsettled1845
shifty1884
the world > time > change > changeableness > [adjective]
slidinga900
wankleeOE
windyc1000
unsteadfastc1200
fleeting?c1225
loose?c1225
brotelc1315
unstablec1340
varyingc1340
variantc1374
motleyc1380
ungroundedc1380
muablea1393
passiblea1393
remuablea1393
changeablea1398
movablea1398
variablec1397
slidderya1400
ticklec1400
variantc1412
flitting1413
mutable?a1425
movingc1425
flaskisable1430
flickering1430
transmutablec1430
vertible1447
brittlea1450
ficklea1450
permutablec1450
unfirmc1450
uncertain1477
turnable1483
unsteadfast1483
vagrantc1522
inconstant1526
alterable?1531
stirringc1540
slippery1548
various1552
slid?1553
mutala1561
rolling1561
weathery1563
unconstant1568
interchangeable1574
fluctuant1575
stayless1575
transitive1575
voluble1575
changeling1577
queasy1579
desultory1581
huff-puff1582
unstaid1586
vagrant1586
changeful1590
floating1594
Protean1594
unstayed1594
swimming1596
anchorless1597
mobilec1600
ticklish1601
catching1603
labile1603
unrooted1604
quicksilvered1605
versatile1605
insubstantial1607
uncertain1609
brandling1611
rootless1611
squeasy1611
wind-changinga1616
insolid1618
ambulatory1625
versatilous1629
plastic1633
desultorious1637
unbottomed1641
fluid1642
fluent1648
yea-and-nay1648
versipellous1650
flexile1651
uncentred1652
variating1653
chequered1656
slideable1662
transchangeative1662
weathercock-like1663
flicketing1674
fluxa1677
lapsable1678
wanton1681
veering1684
upon the weathercock1702
contingent1703
unsettled?1726
fermentable1731
afloat1757
brickle1768
wavy1795
vagarious1798
unsettled1803
fitful1810
metamorphosical1811
undulating1815
tittupya1817
titubant1817
mutative1818
papier mâché1818
teetotum1819
vacillating1822
capricious1823
sensitive1828
quicksilvery1829
unengrafted1829
fluxionala1834
proteiform1833
liquid1835
tottlish1835
kaleidoscopic1846
versative1846
kaleidoscopical1858
tottery1861
choppy1865
variative1874
variational1879
wimbly-wambly1881
fluctuable1882
shifty1882
giveable1884
shifty1884
tippy1886
mutatory1890
upsettable1890
rocky1897
undulatory1897
streaky1898
tottly1905
tipply1906
up and down1907
inertialess1927
sometimey1946
rise-and-fall1950
switchable1961
1884 A. Brassey in Good Words Mar. 165/1 The wind was shifty, though light and fair.
1891 G. Meredith One of our Conquerors II. xiii. 304 A South-easterly wind blew the waters to shifty gold-leaf prints of brilliance under the sun.
1907 J. G. Millais Newfoundland xii. 244 The wind had dropped, and showed signs of being shifty.
1976 Yachts & Yachting 20 Aug. 377/1 Weatherwise the 116-strong fleet had mostly light and shifty winds.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1914; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.1570