Wily

Pronunciation: /waɪli/

Definitions of wily

adjective sly or cunning, often in a deceitful way

Example Sentences

A1 The wily fox outsmarted the farmer and stole all the chickens.

A2 The wily salesman convinced me to buy a product I didn't need.

B1 The wily detective was able to solve the case with clever tactics.

B2 The wily politician manipulated the situation to his advantage.

C1 The wily entrepreneur knew how to navigate the competitive market.

C2 The wily strategist devised a plan that outwitted the enemy.

Examples of wily in a Sentence

formal The wily politician was able to manipulate the situation to his advantage.

informal She's a wily one, always finding a way to get what she wants.

slang That wily fox managed to steal the chicken from right under the farmer's nose.

figurative His wily tactics in business earned him the nickname 'the fox'.

Grammatical Forms of wily

• past tense: wiled
• plural: wilys
• comparative: wilier
• superlative: wiliest
• present tense: wiles
• future tense: will wile
• perfect tense: have wiled
• continuous tense: is wiling
• singular: wily
• positive degree: wily
• infinitive: to wile
• gerund: wiling
• participle: wiled

Origin and Evolution of wily

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'wily' originated from Middle English, derived from the Old English word 'wil', meaning desire or will.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'wily' has evolved to connote cunning, deceitful, or sly behavior, reflecting a shift in its meaning from desire or will to cleverness or trickery.