crafty
/ˈkrɑːfti
/adjective (craftier, craftiest)
1Clever at achieving one’s aims by indirect or deceitful methods: a crafty crook faked an injury to escape from prison...
- The crafty woman was clever enough not to give me the mobiles.
- Beware of a crafty and clever individual who can talk you into making a bad financial deal.
- It's just possible that crafty, quick, powerful Jones could defeat any fighter in any weight class in the world.
Synonyms
cunning, guileful, wily, artful, devious, sly, tricky, duplicitous, dishonest, underhand, cheating, deceitful, Janus-faced, sharp, scheming, calculating, designing, evasive;
shrewd, astute, canny
informal foxy
South African informal slim
archaic subtle
1.1Involving or relating to indirect or deceitful methods: he sneaked off to a toilet for a crafty smoke...
- He pieces together the history behind the crafty tricks and cunning plans of conflict.
- ‘Well, usually I'd just walk in,’ Dallas said as he scratched his chin and a crafty smile appeared on his face.
- My red lips curl into a crafty little smile at the thought of that suave, devil of a man sitting on the sixty-eighth floor.
2 informal Involving or relating to the making of objects by hand: a market full of crafty pots and interesting earrings...
- If you are interested in joining a group of crafty ladies do come along and join in the fun.
- Sunday morning, Tracy, her mother, and I went shopping at a couple of cute little crafty stores.
- Tap into your inner Picasso with these crafty tricks.
Derivatives
craftily
- ‘It was craftily worded,’ admitted one EU diplomat in London.
- I'm a food snob - it runs in my family - and this thing, this craftily tucked pastry square - it made the grade.
- But whatever it is, it craftily evades our attempts to isolate and kill it.
craftiness
- It highlights all that is bad in human nature: cunning, craftiness, and treachery.
- Rant aside, I do get some good ideas for cheaper home craftiness sometimes.
- I found out about the sins of the foolish and the craftiness of the smart.
Origin
Old English cræftig 'strong, powerful', later 'skilful' (see craft, -y1).
Rhymes
- Fleming, Sir Alexander
- Fleming, Sir John Ambrose
- Fleming's left-hand rule
- Fleming's left hand rule
- Fleming's right-hand rule
- Flemish
- Flemish bond
- flench
- flense
- flenser
- flesh
- flesh and blood
- flesh colour
- flesh-coloured
- flesh-eating
- fleshed
- flesher
- flesh fly
- fleshiness
- fleshings
- fleshless
- fleshly
- fleshpots
- flesh side
- flesh wound