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Sly vs Shady - What's the difference?

sly | shady | Related terms |

As adjectives the difference between sly and shady

is that sly is artfully cunning; secretly mischievous; wily while shady is abounding in shades.

As an adverb sly

is slyly.

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

    * ----

    shady

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Abounding in shades.
  • Causing shade.
  • * Bible, Job xl. 22
  • The shady trees cover him with their shadow.
  • Overspread with shade; sheltered from the glare of light or sultry heat.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • Cast it also that you may have rooms shady for summer and warm for winter.
  • (informal) Not trustworthy; disreputable.
  • He is a shady character.
  • * 2009 : Stuart Heritage], [http://www.hecklerspray.com/ Hecklerspray] , Friday the 22nd of May in 2009 at 1 o’clock p.m., “[http://www.hecklerspray.com/jon-kate-latest-people-you-dont-know-do-crap-you-dont-care-about/200934378.php Jon & Kate Latest: People You Don’t Know Do Crap You Don’t Care About
  • Jon & Kate Plus 8'' is a show based on two facts: 1)''' Jon and Kate Gosselin have eight children, and '''2)''' the word ‘Kate’ rhymes with the word ‘eight’. One suspects that if Kate were ever to have another child, a ' shady network executive would urge her to put it in a binbag with a brick and drop it down a well. But this is just a horrifying tangent.
  • (UK, slang) Mean, cruel.
  • ''Don't be shady , give us a go.
  • * '>citation
  • *
  • *
  • Synonyms

    * (not trustworthy) corrupt, dodgy, dubious, equivocal, seedy, sketchy, suspicious