SAT vocabulary: wily
What does wily mean? Read below for the definition.
Quick vocab quiz for the word wily
First, before you read about the word wily, try this quick vocab quiz:
wily most nearly means
(A) sly (B) slippery (C) slovenly (D) sleepy (E) slick
Write your answer down, or just store it in that razor-sharp mind of yours. (If you can’t wait, the answer is below.)
Now let’s learn about the word wily.
Part of Speech of wily
wily is an ADJECTIVE.
Pronunciation wily
Here’s how to pronounce wily:
IPA: /ˈwaɪ.li/
Glossary-style: [WY-lee]
Definition of wily
wily means: able to deceive skillfully or cleverly; sneaky (Ex: a wily businessman).
Explain more about wily, please
wily basically means sneaky, tricky, clever, etc. If someone is wily, then you need to be careful with him lest he take advantage of you in some way.
The word wily definitely has negative connotations, so the word would be more likely to describe someone engaging in unethical behavior than ethical.
Of course, many of us cannot think of the word wily without thinking of Wile E. Coyote, the arch nemesis of the Road Runner, from the Looney Toons animated cartoon from Warner Bros.
Example of wily
Here’s the word wily used in a sentence:
The wily con artist was able to deceive people for decades before finally being outed as a cheat.
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