[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/sly/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [S](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/s/) / sly

# sly

adjective (sly, slyer, slyest — also slier, sliest); adverb slyly; noun slyness; phrase «on the sly»

«sly» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Sly means clever in a sneaky way, good at tricking people and hiding what you really plan. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sly/#m1)
2. A sly smile, look or wink shows that someone knows a secret or a joke that others do not. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sly/#m2)
3. «On the sly» means secretly, so that others do not notice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sly/#m3)

### In the lessons

Common in fables and fairy tales: the sly fox, the sly wolf; it warns the reader that a character is planning a trick. In everyday life and safety lessons it helps children spot people who try to trick them. Phrases: a sly fox, a sly grin, a sly look, on the sly.

### Examples

- The sly fox tricked the crow into dropping its cheese. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sly/#x1)
- Be careful: a sly person may pretend to be your friend to get something. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sly/#x2)
- Tom gave me a sly wink when the teacher wasn't looking. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sly/#x3)
- She had a sly smile, so I knew she had hidden my shoes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sly/#x4)
- He was eating sweets on the sly during the film. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sly/#x5)
- The sly cat waited quietly until the bird came close. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sly/#x6)
- "No need to search any farther," thought sly Master Fox. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sly/#x7)

### Note

Both «slyer/slyest» and «slier/sliest» are correct. «Sly» is usually negative (tricky, not honest), but a «sly smile» can be friendly and playful. Do not mix up with «shy» (nervous with people), which is a different word.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «sly» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sly/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«sly» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/sly.html) on Mova free.