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Guile vs Sly - What's the difference?

guile | sly |

As a noun guile

is astuteness often marked by a certain sense of cunning or artful deception.

As a verb guile

is to deceive, to beguile.

As an adjective sly is

artfully cunning; secretly mischievous; wily.

As an adverb sly is

slyly.

guile

English

Noun

  • (uncountable) Astuteness often marked by a certain sense of cunning or artful deception.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=April 24 , author=Phil Dawkes , title=Barcelona 2-2 Chelsea , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=It was a result that owed a lot to a moment of guile from Ramires but more to a display of guts from the Brazilian and his team-mates after Terry's needless dismissal eight minutes before half-time for driving a knee into the back of Alexis Sanchez off the ball.}}
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=November 11 , author=Rory Houston , title=Estonia 0-4 Republic of Ireland , work=RTE Sport citation , page= , passage=Estonia were struggling to get to grips with the game while Ireland were showing a composure and guile that demonstrated their experience in play-off ties.}}
  • Deceptiveness, deceit, fraud, duplicity, dishonesty.
  • * 'The Bible - King James Version: John 1:47
  • Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile !

    Verb

    (guil)
  • to deceive, to beguile
  • Derived terms

    * beguile * guileful * guileless

    References

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    sly

    English

    (Webster 1913)

    Alternative forms

    * (l) (obsolete)

    Adjective

  • Artfully cunning; secretly mischievous; wily.
  • Dexterous in performing an action, so as to escape notice; nimble; skillful; cautious; shrewd; knowing; — in a good sense.
  • Done with, and marked by, artful and dexterous secrecy; subtle; as, a sly trick.
  • Light or delicate; slight; thin.
  • Synonyms

    * artful * cunning * knowing * sharp * crafty * shrewd * shifty * sly as a fox * slim * wily * See also

    Derived terms

    * sly as a fox * slyboots * slyness

    Adverb

  • Slyly.
  • Anagrams

    * ----