Shrewd vs Sly - What's the difference?
shrewd | sly |
showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters
artful, tricky or cunning
streetwise
*
knowledgeable
* {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=November 10
, author=Jeremy Wilson
, title=tEngland Under 21 5 Iceland Under 21 0: match report
, work=Telegraph
(archaic) Scolding, satirical, sharp.
* 1599 ,
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.
Slyly.
Sly is a synonym of shrewd.
As adjectives the difference between shrewd and sly
is that shrewd is showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters while sly is artfully cunning; secretly mischievous; wily.As an adverb sly is
slyly.shrewd
English
Adjective
(er)citation, page= , passage=The most persistent tormentor was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who scored a hat-trick in last month’s corresponding fixture in Iceland. His ability to run at defences is instantly striking, but it is his clever use of possession that has persuaded some shrewd judges that he is an even better prospect than Theo Walcott. }}
- LEONATO. By my troth, niece, thou wilt never get thee a husband, if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue.